The B.C. Government has declared a provincial state of emergency because of the ongoing wildfire situation, despite saying on several occasions in the past, that we didn’t need one.

“Based on the advice of emergency management and wildfire officials and my briefing last night on the worsening weather, I am declaring a provincial state of emergency,” Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said today, during a provincial wildfire update.

Just yesterday, Farnworth told the Thompson-Nicola Regional District that the government will not be declaring a provincial state of emergency due to the wildfire situation. Earlier in the week, some Kamloops-area mayors told NL News the 2021 fire season has the potential to be ‘worse than previous years on record’.

Farnworth says the declaration comes after a briefing late last night that warned of “days of very difficult weather ahead which could lead to more evacuations.”

“Officials advised that we will be facing some days of very difficult weather in the Interior. What is forecast may lead to more severe fire behaviour and the potential for more evacuations,” he added. “Resources remain tight both on the fire line and in our ability to provide accommodation to evacuees. Volunteer resources are also stretched thin…so putting the declaration in gives us the ability to move quickly, if the need arises.”

“We have reached a critical point.”

TNRD Board Chair Ken Gillis says he’s relived by the declaration which makes it much easier to put a temporary roof over the heads of many evacuees.

“That’s been a giant problem for us because we used up all the accommodation in Kamloops. We used up all the accommodation in Salmon Arm, but we were sending people to Kelowna and Chilliwack,” Gillis said. “Chilliwack’s about two hours and Kelowna’s about an hour and a half from Kamloops.”

“I just want to say that I’m grateful and relieved that in fact we have a state of emergency declared now for the province,”

Even though he admits he’s frustrated that the trigger wasn’t pulled sooner for this much-needed support, Gillis adds he won’t focus on that aspect any more.

“I think it’s so important that the province be seen to be pulling all the possible tools out of the tool box and doing whatever’s available to them,” he added.

The provincial state of emergency comes into effect at midnight today, and it will be in effect for at least 14 days. It comes less than a month after B.C. ended its record-breaking state of emergency that was put in place due to COVID-19.

“What it does is it gives myself as minister the power for example to ensure that we have enough evacuation spaces, if needed, if there is a mass evacuation scenario. Does it unlock additional firefighting resources in terms of boots on the ground? No it does not. That’s already in place,” Farnworth added.

“What it would do is it would me to commandeer an aircraft or truck if that is required but the reality is that the private sector has stepped up and provided resources that we’ve requested.”

Across B.C., there are 299 fires burning with many communities either under an evacuation order or alert. Farnworth says he wants to assure B.C. residents that the province is deploying all available personnel and equipment to fight the fires.

Taking questions from the media, Farnworth defended the fact that he didn’t declare a state of emergency earlier as calls were growing for such a declaration to be made.

“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,” he said, noting right now there is no estimate of how much will need to be spent while 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.”

This is the third provincial state of emergency because of wildfires in B.C. after similar declarations in 2017 and 2018.

People Urged to Have Evacuation Plans in Place

Cliff Chapman, the Director of Provincial Operations with the BC Wildfire Service says people living in areas affected by fires need to have evacuation plans in place.

“I would be taking my people out if I was on an evacuation order,” he said during the briefing this afternoon.

He noted there have been 1,145 wildfires so far this season in B.C., with 11 new starts in the last 24 hours, and 145 in the last week. That has burned about 300,000 hectares so far this year, about 200,000 more than the 10-year average for this time of year.

It was a sentiment echoed by Farnworth who 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.

He noted about 500 out of country and province staff are joining the wildfire effort in the next ten days adding to the roughly 3,000 personnel currently fighting fires across the province.

Wind Advisory Issued for Parts of B.C.

While conditions in the Kamloops area have largely been hot, dry, and smoky for weeks, the BC Wildfire Service has issued a wind advisory for the Interior, southern Interior and south eastern B.C..

“We are expecting what we call a sub-tropical feed coming up from the United States which is going to bring significant winds into the Southeast Fire Centre and the Interior of the province,” Cliff Chapman said. “What this means is that we are going to see our efforts on the fires that are on the landscape challenged.”

“We have the potential to see significant fire behaviour across the province in particular in the southern half of the province where conditions remain extremely dry and extremely volatile.”

He also noted there is very little rain that is expected in parts of the province that could use it the most.

“We’re doing every we can to prepare for the existing fires as well as the potential that we may see another batch of lighting come through the southeast and potentially the Kamloops Fire Centre” Chapman said. “[It] will lead to additional starts within the land base while we continue to try to suppress the fires that already exist.”

Chapman is urging people to be prepared to leave their homes if they’re ordered to, adding these heavy winds are expected to last until Thursday evening.

– With files from Jeff Andreas and Marcella Bernardo, News1130