Officials said about 8,000 people are under evacuation orders due to wildfires in British Columbia, while another 7,100 have been told they should be ready to leave their homes at a moment’s notice.
Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene said in a wildfire update Tuesday morning that the wildfire situation in parts of the province remained “dynamic,” with evacuation orders and alerts changing hourly.
She urged people to be prepared and to heed all evacuation orders.
“It’s understandable that people want to do everything they can to protect their homes, but during an evacuation order the single most important thing you can do is leave immediately,” said Greene.
The B.C. Wildfire Service said there are about 120 active wildfires across the province, including six major fires burning in the southern and central Interior.
Many of the evacuation orders are due to the Bradley Creek and Quilpituk Creek wildfires burning near Vernon.
Okanagan Indian Band Chief Dan Wilson said Tuesday an estimated 230 homes had been destroyed, though provincial officials said it will take time to assess the damage and confirm how many properties have been impacted.
Thousands have also had to leave the Cariboo communities of Clinton, 70 Mile House and surrounding areas, where the massive Big Bar fire complex has burned more than 1,150 square kilometres.
International firefighters are providing relief for B.C. crews
Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said over 100 firefighters from Mexico arrived in B.C. Sunday afternoon, and Australian crews were also travelling to the province. He said personnel from Alberta, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Yukon were also supporting firefighting efforts.
Parmar said there could still be several weeks of intense firefighting ahead for crews, noting August and September are typically peak wildfire season in B.C.
“Despite making good progress on many fires, we are still in the midst of a very challenging wildfire season here in British Columbia,” he said. “Our top priority remains protecting people and communities.”
B.C. Wildfire Service director of wildfire operations Cliff Chapman said the assistance came at a critical time for B.C. wildfire crews, who had been working non-stop for weeks under gruelling conditions.
“These crews coming in will both help us surge to meet the demand, but they will also allow us to rest our own British Columbian resources when they desperately need it,” said Chapman.
He said the Mexican crews had been deployed to the Cariboo Fire Centre to help fight the wildfires in and around Clinton.
Dry conditions, lightning expected to spark more fires
Chapman said there are significant drought conditions across the southern Interior, and conditions are expected to get warmer and drier this week.
He said there’s also potential for dry lightning across parts of southern B.C. on Thursday through Saturday, increasing the possibility of new fire starts.
B.C.’s Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill urged communities and residents to conserve water as much as possible, as parts of the province see record-low stream flows.
Officials say a provincial state of emergency is not currently needed
As the wildfire situation has ramped up, some are questioning why B.C. has not declared a province-wide state of emergency, as it did during the intense 2023 wildfire season.
“Apocalyptic wildfires are tearing through communities in BC, while the BC NDP refuses to acknowledge the reality that so many families are now experiencing firsthand: this is an emergency,” said B.C. Green Leader Emily Lowan in a statement.
A provincial state of emergency would allow the province to restrict travel, ration supplies, commandeer accommodations, and take other actions to respond to the situation.
B.C. officials said all jurisdictions that are fighting wildfires currently have local states of emergency in place, and it’s not currently necessary to issue a provincial state of emergency.
