Although rains overnight managed to slow down the wildfires in BC a bit, the province has extended its state of emergency order.
As much as 27mm of rain fell in several parts of BC – particularly in the eastern portion of the Tremont Creek fire. The rain’s dampening effect on the fires even led to the reopening of the Coquihalla highway between Merritt and Hope for essential travel yesterday.
But the BC Wildfire Service warned that the relief provided by the rain is short-lived, as deeper layers of the ground remain dry.
“The amount of rain we received is not enough to reverse the impacts of the very dry spring and the summer we’ve experienced. There are still weeks ahead,” said BC Wildfire Service manager of fire operations Todd Nessman in a press conference.
While the rain temporarily inhibited wildfire activity, over 8,000 properties remain on evacuation order, and another 22,000 are on evacuation alert, CBC News reported. The BC government also announced yesterday that the provincial state of emergency – which was initially put into place July 20 – has been extended until at least August 31.
“We’ve seen several large fires spread rapidly over the weekend in multiple communities throughout the province,” said BC minister of public safety Mike Farnworth, referring to how strong winds during the last weekend helped spread and exacerbate the flames.
“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.”
Farnworth also stated that the decision to extend the state of emergency will also involve further support for those who remain under evacuation orders and alerts. Additional support for future large-scale evacuations was also discussed by the minister.
