BC declares state of emergency as wildfires devastate Kelowna area
British Columbia is now under a province-wide state of emergency due to raging wildfires affecting West Kelowna. The announcement was made on Friday, August 18, with Premier David Eby stating in a news conference that the situation is the worst “in our province’s history.”
In just 24 hours, the situation “deteriorated quite rapidly.” Within one hour, the number of people under evacuation orders jumped from 4,500 to 15,000.
In a tweet, he stated that the next few days will be extremely challenging.
This year, we’re facing the worst #BCWildfire season ever. Over the past 24 hrs, the situation has evolved rapidly and we are in for an extremely challenging situation in the days ahead. Given these fast-moving conditions, we are declaring a provincial state of emergency.
(1/5) pic.twitter.com/j6Ci2RPcLR
— David Eby (@Dave_Eby) August 19, 2023
As numerous fires spread, several communities across the province are under threat. As a result, thousands of people are under evacuation orders, with “tens of thousands more are on evacuation alert.”
“Given these fast-moving conditions, the Province of British Columbia is declaring a provincial state of emergency, under the authority of the Emergency Program Act, to ensure we are in a position to rapidly access any tools we need to support communities as the situation evolves,” he stated in a release.
On Saturday, August 19, the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations provided an update on areas under evacuation alerts.
The City of West Kelowna has issued EVACUATION ALERTS for the Shannon Lake Area and Smith Creek Agricultural Area to Powers Creek (Glen Canyon) and the North Glenrosa neighbourhood. https://t.co/iElbM1AyW3 pic.twitter.com/w1SoFzzxaY
— Central Ok Emergency (@CO_Emerg) August 19, 2023
According to Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, crews from other areas of the province have also stepped in to help.
After receiving the request from Emergency Management B.C., Vancouver Fire Rescue Services is deploying 2 wildland apparatus and 6 firefighters to Kelowna tonight.
The City of Vancouver is proud to stand with the people of Kelowna. Thank you to all the heroes fighting to save…
— Mayor Ken Sim (@KenSimCity) August 19, 2023
What does a state of emergency mean?
People are urged to avoid non-essential travel to affected areas and allow emergency crews to do their jobs.
If people don’t respect these requests, a state of emergency will allow the province to enact emergency orders, restricting travel to specific areas.
A state of emergency also means that frontline workers will have quick access to tools they might need to battle the blaze.
What can you do?
In addition to avoiding travelling to these areas, people are being warned that accommodation in the Interior region is in short supply as people are being evacuated.
“We need to ensure that accommodation is available for people who are evacuated,” stated Eby.
“We’re calling on all British Columbians to be alert, listen to local officials and follow evacuation orders. We will get through this together.”
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