The provincial government of British Columbia has committed another $18.4 million to support wildfire cleanup and recovery efforts in Lytton, BC.
According to Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth, the new funding will cover debris removal, archaeological work and soil remediation for "all uninsured and underinsured properties" in Lytton.
"We are taking action to speed up the process and support the community through the very challenging task of rebuilding ahead," Farnworth told the media in a news conference earlier this week, adding that an “accelerated” phase of recovery for the village starts this Tuesday.
"This recovery is a partnership, and the province continues to have the backs of the people of Lytton,” the minister said.
The government said that some of the funding will go into efforts to clear debris from more than 200 properties. Another part of the funding will be used to help identify and preserve items of cultural significance in the region, in cooperation with the Nlaka'pamux Nation.
BC’s $18.4 million funding is in addition to the previous $8.3 million it had provided for rebuilding efforts last month.
Since the wildfire incident was put under control last year, Lytton residents and officials have criticized how slow the emergency response and recovery process has been.
According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), the Lytton wildfire is estimated to have caused $102 million in insured damage, which is about $24 million higher than initial projections. IBC has pointed to “significant” delays in recovery and reconstruction efforts as the primary drivers in the increased costs.
The wildfire led to about 300 insurance claims
“The announcement today is good because it’s not just about money, it's about commitment to a process and expertise,” MLA Jackie Tegart told CTV News. “In the last eight months we've seen people come and go, we’ve (seen) consultants come and go, we've seen government spend a lot of money and if you ask the people of Lytton who still can't go home if it's money well spent, they would question that.”
