The chief of the Penticton Indian Band is urging the provincial and federal governments to prioritize wildfire preparedness to help protect communities across B.C., including those in the Okanagan threatened by increasingly large fires. The BC Wildfire Service said Monday the out-of-control Bald Range wildfire had grown to an estimated 15,590 hectares, up from 13,618 hectares a day earlier. “You look back at this past winter and I think we had one snowfall, you look at the past number of years on the number of heat events we have been experiencing.” “That message needs to get out to politicians [and] decision makers; start really focusing on how we can really change that.” When you are issued an evacuation order, or even an alert, it gets your mind and adrenaline pumping.”