State of emergency extended over B.C. wildfires as windy weather expected
KAMLOOPS, B.C. — British Columbia has extended a provincewide state of emergency because of wildfires that have scorched a record amount of land this season.
Chris Duffy of Emergency Management BC said this third extension of the state of emergency is expected to remain in effect until Sept. 1, which will bring its total duration to eight weeks.
“This will be the longest provincial declaration in the history of the province,” he said, adding the 2003 wildfire season saw a six-week state of emergency.
The agency said in a news release the state of emergency allows for better co-ordination of federal, provincial and local resources “to ensure public safety, which remains the provincial government’s top priority.”