The Thompson-Nicola Regional District board has voted unanimously to ask the B.C. government to declare a provincial state of emergency because of the wildfire situation.
Board Chair Ken Gillis tells NL News says he thinks by making the declaration, it will allow the province to ask the federal government for more help.
“I’ve had I don’t know how many people approach me and say ‘what in the world is wrong with the province? Why haven’t they declared a state of emergency?'” Gillis said.
“If I were the Minister of Defence, and I were asked for help from the Armed Forces, I would say ‘For what? You haven’t even declared a state of emergency!’ So, there’s optics involved that its very very important, I think, that they should do do”
Gillis says he is asking other regional districts impacted by the wildfires to make similar requests to the province because of the threat in the Interior.
“There are fires burning out of control in the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District, there are fires out of control in the Cariboo Regional District, and there are fires out of control in Squamish-Lillooet,” he added. “There are also fires out of control in the Prince George area and there’s no prospect whatsoever of any relief from the weather.”
Today’s 24-0 vote comes ten days after the TNRD board voted not to ask for that provincial state of emergency. Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell, a TNRD Director, told NL News yesterday that he’s changed his mind since that July 5 meeting.
“Just looking at the Cariboo and the escalating number of evacuation alerts happening on the Highway 97 corridor, that kind of thing is happening across central British Columbia right now,” Blackwell said. “I don’t think we’re keeping up.”
“I’m a big fan of changing your mind when you learn new stuff and I think we’re there now, and I think we’ve been there for a couple of days.”
Blackwell says the provincial government needs to act right now instead of trying to play catch up in the future.
“We may have the resources that we think we need right but with this long range forecast, I would rather be prepared,” he said.
As of publishing, there are more than 300 wildfires burning in B.C., with 13 per cent of the TNRD’s area currently under on Evacuation Order or Alert. There are 876 properties currently impacted by one of 15 Evacuation Orders and another 2,359 properties impacted by one of 19 Evacuation Alerts.
The TNRD Emergency Operations Centre has already declared six States of Local Emergency across the regional district.
“It was imperative that it be brought to their attention just how dire the situation is in the Interior,” Gillis added. “If the province didn’t wish to apply a state of emergency to the entirety of the province, they could still declare a state of emergency and exempt certain portions of the province from that declaration.”
“They have the power to do that.”
Premier John Horgan has previously said that the province would declare a state of emergency when the BC Wildfire Service suggested it do so.
