State of emergency declared in B.C. over wildfires less than a month after one for COVID-19 ends
Less than a month after B.C. ended its record-breaking state of emergency due to COVID-19, the province is entering a new one.
This time, however, it's not because of the pandemic but because of wildfires in the province.
“Based on the advice of emergency management and wildfire officials, in my briefing last night on the worsening weather, I am declaring a provincial state of emergency,” said Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth in a news conference Tuesday.
“It will address the potential for a mass evacuation scenario and provide our government with the means to secure the accommodation spaces necessary to support the evacuees.”
Difficult weather in B.C.’s Interior is on the way over the next few days and both firefighting resources and emergency accommodations for evacuees are tight, Farnworth said.
“What is forecast may lead to more severe fire behaviour, and the potential for more evacuations,” he said.
Officials have been advising residents under evacuation alerts to consider lining up their own evacuation accommodations if possible.
“Contact friends and family to ensure you have somewhere to go, should the worst happen,” Farnworth said.
“While the province will continue to support anyone in need of emergency support services, having a plan ... (shows) that I care for those who have no other option.”
He also reminded people across the province to clean up their properties if possible and clear combustible materials.
“Whether that's trimming trees, clearing grass and gutters and helping your neighbours, you're not only helping to protect your property and those of your community, but also the firefighters who may be called on to protect it,” Farnworth said.
There are currently more than 3,000 firefighters on the wildfire frontlines.
Clint Chapman of the BC Wildfire Service also spoke at the news conference. He said that a total of 300,000 hectares of the province have already been burned, whereas the average for this time of year in B.C. is about 100,000 hectares.
“We are expecting what we call a ‘subtropical feed’ coming up from the United States which is going to bring significant wind into the South Coast Fire Centre and to the Interior of the province,” he said.
The outlook isn’t good, he said, and fire officials are relieved to know that 500 more personnel will be joining the frontlines in the next 10 days.
“What this means is that we are going to see our efforts on the fires that are on the landscape challenged, our control lines will be challenged and we have the potential to see significant fire behaviour across the province and particularly in the southern half of the province where the conditions remain extremely dry, and extremely volatile,” Chapman said.
Farnworth defended the fact that he didn’t declare a state of emergency earlier, even as some made public calls for him to do so. His decision to call the state of emergency now is based on the advice of professional experts and the hazardous weather they warned of, he said.
“Everything that we can possibly do in terms of securing resources is being done, and that's been in place since this this fire season started, and it started early.”
Farnworth said he doesn’t have an estimate of how much will need to be spent fighting wildfires this year.
“In terms of money spent what I'll say at this point is that we spend what's required to fight the fires,” he said.
The state of emergency goes into effect at midnight, and gives the minister power to assure that the province will have enough accommodations available if a massive evacuation order is put in place.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.