Wildfires Prompt State Of Emergency Declaration In BC

PRINCE GEORGE- The Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Mike Farnworth, has declared a provincial state of emergency due to the wildfires burning across the province. That means the provincial government has the authority to coordinate firefighting efforts and spend what’s necessary to combat the more than 560 fires burning across BC. “At this time, given the outlook over the next ten days in terms of weather conditions and the ability to ensure we’re doing everything possible and ensuring resources are being allocated as efficiently as possible, we’ve declared the province-wide state of emergency,” said Donaldson. The state of emergency will remain in effect for 14 days and may be rescinded at any time, it can also be extended. Since the beginning of April, the province has spent 214 million dollars on firefighting efforts. There are 53 evacuation alerts affecting 23,550 people and 29 evacuation orders affecting 3060 people across BC.