Canada wildfires: British Columbia declares provincial state of emergency

British Columbia [Canada]: Canada’s British Columbia province declared a state of emergency as the firefighters battled wildfires that forced thousands of people to evacuate from their homes, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported.

Premier of British Columbia, David Eby announced the state of emergency at a Friday (local time) press conference. He said that the wildfire situation in the province has “evolved and deteriorated” rapidly.

Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma says the number of people under evacuation order in British Columbia went from 4,500 to 15,000 in a matter of an hour.

A further 20,000 people are under evacuation alert, reported CBC.

Eby said declaring a state of emergency “enables a number of legal tools for us to issue specific orders and to ensure that resources are available.”

In a statement, the provincial government said a state of emergency lets the province enact emergency orders, which could include travel restrictions if people fail to heed calls to avoid non-essential travel to the central Interior and southeastern British Columbia.

Earlier, the wildfire in Canada’s Northwest Territories prompted emergency declarations and the evacuation of the capital city of Yellowknife by road and air, CNN reported.

Yellowknife accounts for about half of the total population of the remote territory, which sits north of Alberta and east of Yukon.

Premier Caroline Cochrane said in a statement on Wednesday night: “We’re all tired of the word unprecedented, yet there is no other way to describe this situation in the Northwest Territories.”

“Residents living along the Ingraham Trail, in Dettah, Kam Lake, Grace Lake and Engle Business District are currently at the highest risk and should evacuate as soon as possible.

Other residents have until noon on Friday, August 18, 2023, to evacuate,” Northwest Territories officials said in a news release on Wednesday, as per CNN.

The community of N’dilo is also under an evacuation order, officials said in the release. Those unable to leave by vehicle can register for an air evacuation, officials said.