Wildfire state of emergency to end

Based on advice from emergency management and wildfire officials, British Columbia’s provincial state of emergency, enacted to support provincial wildfire response, will expire at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 14.

Cooler seasonal weather and precipitation, combined with the hard work of firefighters from B.C., Canada and abroad to contain and extinguish fires, means that B.C. can allow the state of emergency to end and return to a standard emergency response.

The state of emergency was declared on July 20, 2021, to ensure a co-ordinated response to wildfire activity and to ensure public safety in the province. It was extended three times over the weeks that followed.

As of Sept. 13, 2021, 205 wildfires are burning in B.C., with three evacuation orders affecting approximately 223 properties and 12 evacuation alerts affecting approximately 254 properties. Overall this year, 1,585 fires burned 868,619 hectares in the province.

At the height of the summer, 3,631 personnel were helping fight the fires, including support from Mexico, Australia and across Canada. Approximately 32,000 people were displaced, and 19,807 people registered with Emergency Support Services.