Okanagan Crush Pad reports that its team, vineyards, winery and the majority of its farming infrastructure have come through the Bald Range wildfire in remarkably good condition.
The wildfire moved through the Faulder and Garnet Valley communities last week, prompting the evacuation of Summerland. With the fire now moving away from the community, phased re-entry has begun in parts of town. Earlier access was granted to essential service workers, farmers and commercial operations with processing at risk, allowing critical farming and production work to resume.
This limited access has allowed the Okanagan Crush Pad team to assess its Summerland properties, including Monro Vineyard, the Summerland Food Hub Vineyard, Switchback Vineyard, Haywire Winery and Garnet Valley Ranch.
The news from Monro, the Food Hub and Switchback vineyards is positive: all three are in fine condition. Once power was restored, the team was able to reconnect remotely to irrigation systems and resume watering remotely.
At Haywire Winery, where Okanagan Crush Pad’s winemaking and cellar operations are based, the winery and its contents are secure. The winemaking team has inspected the cellar and reports that the wines in tank are in excellent condition. The cellar’s construction proved particularly valuable during the five-day power outage. The building, together with the winery’s extensive use of concrete tanks, helped maintain naturally cool and stable cellar temperatures throughout the outage.
Garnet Valley: A community coming together
While Okanagan Crush Pad has much to be grateful for, many of its neighbours in Garnet Valley and the surrounding area experienced substantial losses, including homes, horse stables, hay barns, greenhouses and crops. “We mourn these losses and will be there to support our neighbours in any way we can,” said Okanagan Crush Pad co-founder Steve Lornie. “Garnet Valley is a close-knit community, and we know its strength firsthand.”
That strength was demonstrated recently when Garnet Valley residents rallied against a proposed gravel pit that many believed would have significantly affected the character of the valley. The experience forged new relationships and strengthened existing ones – connections that are proving especially meaningful now. “A group of us came together around the gravel pit application, and in doing so we formed an even stronger bond as neighbours,” said Lornie. “That bond will help carry this community through what is an incredibly difficult time. Garnet Valley is strong, and we will rebuild together.”
As a small symbol of that spirit, Okanagan Crush Pad has printed 200 Garnet Valley Strong signs to place along the road and share with neighbours as residents begin returning to the valley.
Garnet Valley Ranch
Garnet Valley Ranch was directly in the path of the wildfire, which swept across the 320-acre property. While there are meaningful losses to absorb, the team’s first assessment has provided many reasons for gratitude. Thoughtful land management and fire mitigation strategies, including a large pond for helicopter water bucketing at the centre of the property, fire hydrants on the perimeter, an eight-acre wetland reserve, irrigated green spaces, clear areas around buildings and rooftop sprinkler systems appear to have significantly limited the overall impact.
Most importantly, the actively farmed vineyard blocks remain intact, as does much of the property’s essential farming infrastructure and equipment. Evidence of the fire can be seen in the vineyard, particularly in the dry grass between rows, but these areas are expected to recover quickly with irrigation or rainfall. Worker accommodation was spared with only minor damage. The pumphouse and farm equipment – including tractors, mowers and sprayers – are unharmed. The Outlook Visitor Centre and Shade Sail area were also untouched, while the event pavilion sustained partial damage.
The winery storage cellar and workshop survived remarkably well. Irrigated grass between these buildings and the property’s original log house appears to have provided an important buffer from the fire. The log house itself was lost, with only its chimney remaining. A storage area approximately 50 metres away, containing more than 140 picking bins and lids, as well as vineyard bird netting, was also lost.
Damage within the vineyard is concentrated primarily in fallow areas that had not been irrigated this season. Metal vineyard posts remain in these blocks, while some wooden end posts, fencing and plastic irrigation components will need to be replaced.
The team’s immediate priority has been restoring water to the vineyard. Crews began irrigating lower areas of the ranch on Friday, and a large generator is being installed to restore irrigation to the remaining vineyard blocks while the property awaits the return of electrical service, which may take several weeks. The generator was loaned to Okanagan Crush Pad by Penticton’s Greyback Construction – one of many examples of the generosity and community support being extended to those affected by the wildfire.
While seeing fire move through Garnet Valley Ranch has been difficult for everyone connected to this special place, the first assessment offers considerable reason for optimism. The actively farmed vineyards survived. Critical equipment and infrastructure remain. Key hospitality and working spaces were spared. Across Okanagan Crush Pad’s other Summerland vineyards and at Haywire Winery, operations and wines are in good condition. There is work ahead at Garnet Valley Ranch, but that work is already underway.
Gratitude for the people behind Okanagan Crush Pad
Okanagan Crush Pad extends its sincere thanks to the firefighters, emergency personnel, utility crews, agricultural workers, neighbours and everyone working to protect Summerland and help the community return home safely. Lornie and co-founder Christine Coletta also credit the Okanagan Crush Pad team for their extraordinary commitment throughout the emergency.
“We could not do what we do every day without these amazing people by our side,” said Coletta. “They have been pillars of support for [Lornie and I], and their dedication throughout this experience has been extraordinary.”
For Coletta, the wildfire is also a reminder of the resilience that has come to define the people working in the Okanagan wine and agricultural community. “Since COVID-19, our sector has faced challenge after challenge – from facility and road closures to landslides, extreme cold and crop losses. And yet, we are still standing together. What keeps [Lornie and I] moving forward is the remarkable group of people around us. They are what propel us every day,” she said.
For Okanagan Crush Pad, the focus now turns to recovery: caring for the vineyards, supporting its neighbours and preparing for the season ahead.
