Armed forces to begin helping with fire response as 77 new wildfires start over 2 days: BC Wildfire Service
New wildfires in British Columbia continue to ignite thanks to hot, dry conditions and sporadic thunderstorms with lightning across the Interior.
The BC Wildfire Service is anticipating troops from the Canadian Armed Forces will be arriving in the coming days.
“(We’re) expecting to receive some military assistance over the next number of days from the Canadian military,” said fire information officer Jean Strong.
Seventy-seven new blazes have sparked in the last two days, bringing the total number of active fires to 175.
Of those, 11 are wildfires of note, meaning they are highly visible or pose a potential risk to public safety.
A number of evacuation orders remain in place. Officials say that lightning strikes are what ignited most of the fires.
“We do continue to see heightened activity across the province, especially in Prince George Fire Center, Caribou Fire Center, and the Kamloops Fire Center,” Strong said.
“In the evening last night, and throughout the night, we did see a number of new ignitions in different areas around the province, including one near Logan Lake that is resulting in potential evacuations.”
On Friday, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said the federal government had established a forward operating location in Edmonton, with one Hercules aircraft and two Chinook helicopters as well as 350 troops.
A call for assistance has also been made to other provinces, with the hope they can send firefighters and equipment to B.C.
In the event that other provinces are not able to fulfill the need, the BC Wildfire Service said it will seek help from international partners who may be able to dispatch crews to the province.
“Additionally, we've seen some really fabulous support from structural fire departments around the province, especially in that Little Creek area with structure protection departments providing personnel and equipment,” said Strong.
BC Wildfire Service was unable to provide an approximate number of people or properties currently under evacuation order across the province.
Correction
July 3: This story has been updated from a previous version to correct the day that Sajjan spoke of the armed forces helping in the wildfire fight. The minister spoke about it on Friday, not Thursday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C.'s short-term rental regulations include $10K daily penalties for Airbnb, other platforms
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.