By The Canadian Press

B.C. premier, forests minister tours wildfire affected areas

Aug 28, 2017 | 1:21 PM

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — British Columbia Premier John Horgan and Forests Minister Doug Donaldson travelled Monday to several Interior cities and towns hard hit by wildfires, looking for first-hand information from firefighters and residents.

In his first stop, Horgan said it would take more than just cutting cheques to rebuild fire-damaged communities, although he reassured residents that financial assistance is part of the process.

“That always is the place you start. You want to make sure the resources are there, the dollars are there to make a difference,” he said.

The premier also said meetings were scheduled with Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta and members of First Nations in the Ashcroft area to discuss specific needs and plans.

Horgan and Donaldson were to visit Kamloops, Cache Creek, Ashcroft and Kelowna, where a wildfire that broke out Thursday was keeping about 380 residents away from 160 properties closest to the flames.

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The Central Okanagan Regional District had downgraded evacuation orders to alerts for another 120 residents early Monday, after allowing 600 people to return home Sunday.

Highway 33 was also partially reopened after being closed Sunday through the fire zone, although drivers were warned of lengthy delays.

A news release from the regional district says a wildfire in the Joe Rich community was 20 per cent contained and had charred just under five square kilometres of bush and trees about 25 kilometres east of Kelowna.

The BC Wildfire Service website showed seven new fires were sparked over a 24-hour period on Sunday, with two believed to have been caused by human activity, two by lightning and three under investigation.

A provincial state of emergency remains in effect.

The wildfire service says 1,123 fires have been reported since the start of the fire season on April 1, burning just over 10,600 square kilometres of timber, bush and grassland. (The Canadian Press, CHNL)

The Canadian Press