B.C. Interior community leader relieved state of emergency declared

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – With many B.C. wildfires threatening homes in the Kamloops area, the head of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District is relieved a provincial state of emergency has at last been declared.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth declared the state of emergency Tuesday afternoon. It takes effect at midnight Wednesday.

Chair Ken Gillis says he’s frustrated the province hadn’t declared a state of emergency earlier, but he’s pleased B.C. communities now have more resources to access in order to address the issue.

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

The district has been pleading for more boots on the ground and places for wildfire evacuees to sleep. While this state of emergency might not help with the former of those requests, it could mean more options for shelter for those ordered out of their homes.

“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. We were sending people to Kelowna and Chilliwack, and both those are well over an hour away,” Gillis explained.

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A provincial state of emergency gives the B.C. government the ability to use “extraordinary powers” where the minister can take steps to prevent, respond, or alleviate the effects of the fires.

Across B.C., there are nearly 300 wildfires burning. Many communities are under evacuation orders or alerts.

The BC Wildfire Service says there have been 1,145 blazes so far this season. They include 145 wildfires in the last seven days and 11 in the past 24 hours.

The fires have scorched 300,000 hectares of land across the province. That’s about three times more than the 10-year average for this time of year.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Shirley Bond, who has been calling for a provincial state of emergency for weeks, says this is a huge relief.

“This is not a partisan moment at all. This is about public safety. We have heard absolutely devastating stories of people who were frightened. They were fleeing their homes,” Bond said.

“I think that the people in the Interior part of British Columbia needed to know that the government has their back.”

However, Bond does wonder why the declaration wasn’t made sooner.

“I do think many of us wonder why it’s taken so long to get to this place, why the premier stubbornly refused to do what he knew eventually would have to happen,” she said.

It’s been a very difficult year and a half for many British Columbians.

“People where I live have gone from the pandemic and feeling a sense of relief, hope, and optimism to a place where many of them now are concerned about their own personal safety and … their homes, their loved ones,” Bond pointed out.

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She says the province needs to “step up to the plate” and communicate directly with British Columbians.

“They need to talk about what exactly is going to be done on the ground, where it’s still safe to travel in the province and … a state of emergency does allow the province to limit travel,” Bond noted, adding the needs of the tourism industry and small businesses also need to be considered.

“Providing a package of supports to allow people to know that when we get past fire season, they’re still going to be able to operate their businesses in the future.”

With files from Marcella Bernardo and Liza Yuzda