CFNO grants $55,000 to 13 groups aiding Bradley Creek wildfire victims

The Community Foundation North Okanagan has granted $55,000 from the Wildfire Response 2026 Fund to 13 local organizations supporting people displaced by the Bradley Creek wildfire near Vernon. The fire spread rapidly on August 1 and forced evacuations across the North Okanagan region.

The grants fund food security, mental health support for evacuated families, animal rescue, and services for newcomers and Indigenous residents. The foundation established the fund on August 5 as a trusted local place to give after the blaze.

“Granting locally means support arrives through people who already know their neighbours and can direct it where it will do the most good.”

Since the fund opened, 471 donors have contributed $348,716. The fund remains open, and more granting is planned through cfno.org/wildfire-response-2026.

The first round went to organizations already on the ground in direct contact with evacuees and people who lost homes. The Okanagan Indian Band received $23,000 across three grants, including $3,000 on August 7 for immediate needs and $10,000 in September for food security work.

School District 22 received $10,000 to support 21 displaced families across five schools, helping them buy clothing, household necessities, and groceries. The district also provides breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and take-home meals to evacuee students and their families.

Eleven additional grants of $2,000 each went to organizations that responded during the evacuation, often within days, covering food, counselling, shelter, and animal care across the region. The Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team Society Canada received support for animal evacuation and feeding.