B.C.'s wildfires a 'graphic reminder' of climate change, premier says
B.C.'s already troubling wildfire season is only expected to worsen in the days ahead, the province's premier warned Wednesday, calling the current conditions a reflection of climate change.
John Horgan made the comments from outside Southeast Fire Centre offices less than 12 hours after B.C. entered a provincial state of emergency due to wildfires.
"This is a graphic reminder of how climate change is with us, not just intermittently but all the time," Horgan said.
The premier insisted last week that a state of emergency was not yet necessary, saying local governments were already managing resources well. That changed, however, with more fires sparking early this week and worsening weather in the forecast.
"Where (a state of emergency) was of most value to us … was that the weather patterns we're seeing are not going to break up," Horgan said, adding winds could cause the fires to grow.
"We can't predict them the way we could if the winds were not as aggressive and we want to be able to work before an evacuation order is issued."
The state of emergency gives the province power to assure there are enough accommodations available in community spaces if a massive evacuation order is put in place.
Horgan said anyone travelling within B.C. should check local conditions before they leave home.
"In the end people will make their choices and that's entirely up to them. There will be closures in the backcountry, there are now and there will be more coming as fires continue to ignite," he said.
"We have a bad stretch of weather ahead of us, we have winds picking up, these are all bad, bad, bad news for the fire service and for the personnel on the ground and of course it's going to have a profound impact on the economy as well."
As of Wednesday morning, 295 fires are active in the province. Of those, 39 are considered wildfires of note. Five of them are in the Southeast Fire Centre. However, no large fires are currently burning by Castlegar, where the premier was speaking from Wednesday as part of a tour through the Kootenays.
"We've got many, many weeks ahead of us," Horgan said, adding that the province would accept any help other jurisdictions can provide. More than 3,000 firefighters and support staff are battling the blazes, with some having come from Alberta, New Brunswick and Quebec.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.