A state of provincial emergency implemented to address British Columbia’s out-of-control wildfires will conclude at the end of the day Thursday.
B.C.’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness announced the development, on the advice from emergency management and wildfire officials, in a media release Thursday afternoon.
“While the provincial state of emergency is no longer required, the wildfire season is not over,” Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Bowinn Ma said in the release.
“Many communities still have local states of emergency in place and the expiration of the provincial state of emergency does not impact wildfire-fighting resources or our ability to continue to provide emergency supports to communities.”
As of Thursday, the number of people under evacuation orders stood at about 370, with another 18,000 under evacuation alerts. At the peak of the wildfire emergency, an estimated 30,000 people were forced from their homes.
Despite the improvement, Ma said significant challenges remained — particularly in the Prince George Fire Centre, were 125 wildfires remain active.
A state of emergency is also being implemented in the Stikine region in northwestern B.C., aimed at maintaining an evacuation order that’s been in place since Aug. 26. The province said the provincial order is necessary because the Stikine is an unincorporated region.
The ministry said it was now beginning to shift its focus to supporting recovery efforts in fire-affected communities.
The state of emergency was initially declared on Aug. 18, and was followed by a travel restriction order aimed at freeing up accommodations in the Okanagan and North Shuswap for evacuees and emergency responders.
That order was lifted on Aug. 25, while the state of emergency was extended on Aug. 31.
As of Sept. 14, there were still 395 fires active across the province. Since April 1, 2,152 fires have scorched more than 2.37 million hectares of land and believed to have destroyed more than 500 structures and homes.
On Monday, B.C. Premier David Eby announced an expert disaster task force to support disaster stricken communities, implement on-the-ground changes and provide advice on volunteer recruitment.