Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone has announced a provincial state of emergency in British Columbia “to ensure a co-ordinated response to the current wildfire situation and to ensure public safety.”
On Friday, there were 56 reported wildfires throughout the province. Due to these new fires, evacuation alerts and orders were issued for residents in Ashcroft, Cache Creek, and Princeton. The day before, residents in 105 Mile House and 108 Mile House were also asked to vacate the area.
“Given the current wildfire situation and the expected increase in wildfire activity, the province is taking this extraordinary measure of declaring a provincial state of emergency,” a statement from the provincial government read.
“Our first priority during this period of extreme wildfire activity in the interior has been to ensure the safety of all those directly impacted,” Premier Christy Clark said in a statement issued in response to the state of emergency announcement. “This included declaring a provincial state of emergency so that all possible tools are available to fight the fires and protect families and communities.”
Premier Clark also said that the provincial government is creating a $100 million fund that would provide impacted communities much-needed resources to rebuild their areas.
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