VICTORIA - With a significant number of wildfires burning throughout
B.C., the Province is cautioning all British Columbians to be diligent
with fire safety and to report all wildfires to authorities.
New today:
* A provincewide campfire ban has been extended to the "Fog Zone" on
the west coast of Vancouver Island.
* Emergency Social Services (ESS) support is now being provided for
approximately 7 people on the Sunshine Coast.
* A Wildfire Smoke Advisory has been issued for the Sea to Sky
Corridor, including Whistler and Pemberton.
* The fire east of Lake Kookanusa is now contained and all Evacuation
Alerts issued by the Regional District of East Kootenay for areas
around this wildfire have now been lifted.
* Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton visited the
front lines of the wildfire near Port Hardy and saw firsthand how
residents and businesses in the community are working together:
* Seventy personnel, two amphibious skimming aircraft, one birddog
aircraft and an air attack officer from Ontario arrived in B.C.
yesterday. More resources, including some from Australia, are expected
to arrive next week and more have been requested.
Update on fire activity and impacts:
There were 31 new fires in B.C. yesterday and the Province is
cautioning all British Columbians to be diligent with fire safety and
report all wildfires to authorities. As of noon today, there were 189
active fires throughout the province (of this, 18 are active fires of
note), with five states of local emergency due to wildfire and eight
evacuation alerts/orders currently in effect.
As of July 8, 2015, over 40 properties in the province were on
Evacuation Order with approximately 500 homes on Evacuation Alert.
These numbers will fluctuate as orders and alerts are put into place
and/or rescinded.
Evacuation Orders currently exist in these areas:
* Boulder Creek Wildfire, northwest of Pemberton Meadows, affecting
three commercial properties and two recreational cabins
* Alberni Clayoquot Regional District, affecting 21 seasonal homes due
to Dog Mountain fire
* Sechelt Mine fire, issued for Carlson Point, affecting 21 waterfront
properties
Evacuation Alerts exist in these areas:
* Tsulquate Creek Fire, northwest of Port Hardy, affecting 100 homes
* Sitkum Creek Fire, north of Kootenay Lake, affecting 350 homes
* Two alerts for the Harrogate area, north of Highway 95, between
Harrogate and Brisco, affecting 50 homes in total
* Petitot River fire, northeast of Fort Nelson, affecting an oil and
gas camp.
States of local emergency for wildfires exist in the following areas:
* Northern Rockies Regional Municipality
* Regional District of East Kootenay
* Squamish-Lillooet Regional District
* Sunshine Coast Regional District
* Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District
For all current Evacuation Alerts and Orders in B.C., see:
BC Wildfire Service resources deployed:
The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has responded to 919 wildfires so far
this season.
Over 1,000 of B.C.'s firefighters are fully deployed throughout the
province, and over 600 contract firefighters are helping to fight
fires.
The 63 sustained action firefighters and seven other specialized
personnel from Ontario have arrived and are now deployed throughout the
Coastal Fire Centre and Southeast Fire Centre.
In addition, two amphibious skimming aircraft, one birddog aircraft and
an air attack officer from Ontario.
These requests for assistance were made through the Canadian
Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which co-ordinates the mutual sharing
of firefighting resources between B.C. and other Canadian
jurisdictions. Costs associated with these requests will be covered by
B.C. under the Mutual Aid Resources Sharing Agreement, which allows for
the movement of firefighting resources throughout Canada.
Penalties for open burning:
Failure to abide by the Wildfire Act, including open burning
restrictions, can result in a $345 fine, an administrative penalty of
$10,000 or, if convicted in court, a fine of up to $100,000 and/or one
year in jail.
Wildfire smoke advisories and air quality status:
The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with regional health
authorities, has issued air quality advisories in several areas of the
province - including the Lower Mainland, Sea-to-Sky Corridor, south and
east Vancouver Island, parts of the Interior and the Fort St. John
area.
The advisories are a result of high concentrations of fine particulate
matter due to smoke from wildfires in B.C. The air quality has improved
in most parts of the province overnight, though levels continue to be
elevated in the Whistler area. The advisories are expected to remain in
place until weather conditions change.
New Wildfire Smoke Advisories have been issued for these areas:
* Sea to Sky Corridor, including Whistler and Pemberton.
* Sunshine Coast and surrounding areas affecting Powell River to
Gibsons/Langdale.
* East and South Coast of Vancouver Island from Campbell River to
Victoria, and including the interior community of Port Alberni.
* A Smoky Skies Advisory was issued for the Okanagan, Similkameen and
Boundary areas.
* A Smoky Skies Advisory was issued for the Thompson, Fraser Canyon,
Nicola, and Shuswap areas.
If you see or smell smoke in the air, you're advised to avoid strenuous
outdoor activities, especially if you have chronic underlying medical
conditions. Staying indoors and in air conditioned spaces helps to
reduce fine particulate exposure. Exposure is particularly a concern
for infants, the elderly and those who have heart disease or underlying
respiratory conditions - like asthma or other lung diseases, such as
COPD. Anyone experiencing difficulty breathing or wheezing is advised
to take steps to reduce their exposure to smoke and see a physician if
necessary.
For information on current air quality readings in B.C. please visit:
Support for British Columbians impacted by wildfires:
Including the seven people added today, ESS has now been provided for
nearly 300 people in B.C. The majority of these were as a result of
previous wildfires east of Kelowna and in Port Hardy. These other
people have now all returned home.
ESS is temporary public aid that provides up to 72 hours of essentials
like mass lodging and food service, as well as emergency supplies and
necessities.
For information on how to access Emergency Social Services, see:
Report all wildfires:
Human-caused wildfires are preventable and the public is B.C.'s first
line of defence against wildfires. Please be diligent when in the
backcountry, and report all wildfires to 1 800 663-5555 or *5555 on
your mobile phone.
Quick Facts:
* Since April 1, 2015, B.C. has reported 918 fires, more than double
the 424 wildfires reported in the same time period in 2014.
* Failure to report a fire can result in a fine of up to $173.
* Anyone who causes damage to Crown forest or grass land through arson
or recklessness can be fined up to $1 million or spend up to three
years in prison.
* If a contravention of the Wildfire Act causes or contributes to a
wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting
and associated costs.
Learn More:
For current information on current wildfires and open burning
prohibitions in your area, as well as fire safety tips, see:
http://engage.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/ and http://ow.ly/PfwC6
To learn about how to prevent wildfires and what to do if your
community receives an Evacuation Alert or Order, visit:
http://ow.ly/PfsPl and http://ow.ly/PftLE
The Homeowner's FireSmart Manual helps inform people on how to reduce
the risk of personal property damage due to wildfires:
To keep up-to-date on emergency alerts on Twitter follow:
@EmergencyInfoBC