B.C. asking for firefighting help as MLA calls for state of emergency to be issued

B.C. is asking for help from out of province to deal with a “significant fire season.”

The province is requesting 1,000 firefighters from across Canada, while between 200 and 300 are expected to arrive from Australia, Mexico and the U.S. in the coming days.

But the province’s opposition parties say that’s not enough, and want to see the province declare a state of emergency.

“Today’s BC Wildfire Public Safety Bulletin says ‘Over the past seven days, there have been nearly 400 new fires recorded across the province. In the Prince George Fire Centre alone, there are 146 wildfires currently burning,'” BC United Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond posted to Twitter.

“We continue to call for a Provincial State of Emergency.”

1:49 More than 300 wildfires burning in B.C.

Speaking to media on Thursday afternoon, BC Wildfire officials said the areas of particular concern are in north-central B.C. around Vanderhoof, Fort St. James and Bulkley-Nechako.

John Rustad, MLA for Nechako Lakes and leader of the Conservative Party of B.C. called on the province to issue a state of emergency due to the fires burning.

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“The risk to British Columbians’ health, and to the safety of our communities, is unacceptable,” he said in a statement.

“I know that firefighters on the ground are working hard, and I want to thank them for their perseverance and their service. These fires are immense and the situation is getting worse; we need to mobilize every possible resource to help fight these fires.

“I have already sent a note to Premier Eby. I am asking him to take immediate action to protect British Columbians by declaring a state of emergency.”

Across B.C., 51,000 lightning strikes have been recorded over the past seven days and every afternoon new strikes are recorded without any rain falling.

There are currently 359 wildfires burning across the province, with 17 of them considered wildfires of note.