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BC extends state of emergency due to ongoing wildfires
August 19, 2021 By Ellen Cools
The B.C. government announced it has extended the provincial state of emergency through Aug. 31, to support the response to the wildfires in the province.
As of Aug. 17, 263 wildfires were burning in the province, with 86 evacuation orders in place and 125 evacuation alerts.
“We’ve seen several large fires spread rapidly over the weekend in multiple communities throughout the province,” said Mike Farnworth, B.C. minister of public safety and solicitor general, in a statement.
“As we renew this state of emergency for another two weeks, I want to assure British Columbians that we’re taking every step possible to ensure the safety of everyone in these communities. We’re also asking travellers to stay away from fire-affected areas – those under evacuation order or alert – and consider travelling to other areas of B.C. until the situation stabilizes.”
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