Travel restriction lifted for southeastern BC as wildfires calm

BC is lifting travel restrictions for part of the province after wildfire activity in that region calmed overnight.

Bowinn Ma, minister of emergency management and climate readiness, announced travel will no longer be restricted in southeastern BC, and said that the region is getting ready to welcome tourists once more.

“We are no longer asking people to stay out of the Southeast in its entirety,” Ma said. “But there is still a need to recreate responsibly.”

You might also like:
• "Long road ahead:" Crews fight to control Okanagan wildfires as smoke hampers visibility
• BC's air quality nearly four times worse than world's most-polluted city
• Travel restriction issued after 30,000 under evacuation orders in Kelowna

She advised travellers to study wildfire maps, check DriveBC, and only proceed on travel plans with the understanding that there’s a risk of new wildfires breaking out or conditions changing.

“Pay attention to the needs of the local communities that you’re visiting. We all need to give BC Wildfire Service personnel and emergency responders the space they need to keep us safe.”

Non-essential stays in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Penticton, Osoyoos and Vernon are still prohibited.

BC officials announced the travel restrictions Saturday in order to free up accommodations for wildfire evacuees. There are currently 27,000 people who’ve been ordered to leave their homes across the province.