Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma has announced that British Columbia is extending its state of emergency due to the ongoing wildfires that have caused significant damage in the province. The extension is being implemented to ensure that any additional emergency orders required under the Emergency Act can be promptly issued to address the fires. Minister Ma emphasized the need for continued vigilance due to the unpredictable nature of the wildfires this year.
During a briefing, Minister Ma mentioned that there has been a positive trend in the firefighting efforts, resulting in some communities downgrading evacuation orders and allowing thousands of residents to return home. However, she highlighted that there are still 4,200 individuals under evacuation orders, with an additional 65,000 on evacuation alert, ready to leave their homes at a moment’s notice. Despite recent rain providing some relief, Minister Ma cautioned that the province is far from being out of danger.
The BC Wildfire Service website reported that there are currently 422 active fires across British Columbia, with 195 of them burning out of control. Twelve of these fires are classified as “fires of note” due to their high visibility or potential threat to the public. The wildfire season this year has already burned a record-breaking 19,111 square kilometers of land in B.C., with over 72 percent of the fires ignited by lightning strikes.
Premier David Eby declared the state of emergency on August 19 when fires threatened West Kelowna in the province’s interior, leading to widespread evacuations. Minister Ma explained that the wildfires would impact the start of the school year, with two schools located in evacuation areas and 17 schools on evacuation alerts. Alternative plans will be implemented for affected students, potentially involving enrollment in neighboring districts or online learning.
Rainfall across British Columbia’s southern Interior on Thursday was expected to aid firefighters in combating several major wildfires in the region. The Columbia Shuswap Regional District stated that while cooler weather could potentially increase fire activity at the Bush Creek East blaze near Chase, the rain was creating favorable conditions for firefighters to intensify their efforts against the 431-square-kilometer fire. Showers were observed in various communities, including Kelowna, Lytton, and Salmon Arm, which are adjacent to major wildfires that have prompted evacuation orders.
The cooler and wetter weather has already helped to suppress fires such as McDougall Creek in the Central Okanagan, Ross Moore Lake south of Kamloops, and the Kookipi Creek fire near Lytton. Both the Thompson-Nicola and Fraser Valley regional districts downgraded several evacuation orders linked to the Kookipi Creek wildfire to evacuation alerts, thanks partly to the 16 millimeters of rain received in some parts of the fire-affected areas. Evacuation orders were also downgraded to alerts in the Bear Creek Road area of West Kelowna concerning the McDougall Creek fire, as well as in Turtle Valley in the Thompson-Nicola region near the Bush Creek East blaze. Furthermore, previous alerts for residents to be prepared for immediate evacuation have been lifted in parts of Westbank First Nation and the Boucherie Industrial Area in the Central Okanagan.