Highway 97 was closed Monday night as the Bald Range wildfire threatened communities in the central Okanagan. Hugh Murdoch, a BC Wildfire Service incident commander, said the stretch of Highway 97 between Penticton and Peachland through Summerland remains closed as the northeast corner of the fire poses a risk to the highway. Murdoch said crews encountered fierce conditions at the northeast corner earlier Monday. Murdoch said factors beyond fire behaviour will determine when the corridor reopens, while the closure allows wildfire crews to respond to potential flare-ups. The province says drivers can detour around the closure via Forest Service Road 201 (Okanagan Falls Road) and Highway 33 between Penticton and Kelowna.