State of Emergency Extended in BC amid Raging Wildfires

British Columbia Experiencing the Most Destructive Fire Season Ever Recorded

A state of emergency has been extended in the Canadian Province of British Columbia (BC) for a third time until Sept. 1 because of the raging wildfires across the region, authorities said.

Some 1,031 fires have blackened at least 909,213 hectares (2.25 million acres) of land so far this year, making it the most destructive fire season since records began 67 years ago.

About 150 fires are currently burning across the Canadian province, with about 4,500 people still under evacuation orders, and more than 22,000 on evacuation alert.

Some 4,512 fires have consumed 2,576,415 hectares across Canada so far this year, NIFC reported.

 

Fort McMurray Wildfire Could Double in Size by Tonight: Govt

The 101,000-hectare fire could double in size by tonight amid 27-dgree temp. and 40-kmph wind gusts

The massive blaze claiming Fort McMurray had grown to at least 101,000 hectares, as of posting, and was  moving northeast, away from the community, senior wildfire manager Chad Morrison told reporters.

Meanwhile, another wildfire in Manitoba province, one of the large blazes burning on the eastern border with Ontario, has prompted the provincial government to issue a Mandatory evacuation order.

The following update on wildfire situation, is mirrored from the Alberta

• People who have been displaced will be provided with $1,250 peradult and $500 per dependant in emergency financial assistance. This will probably be provided in the form of pre-loaded debit cards. Details on when this assistance will be available and how to get access to it will be announced by May 11, 2016. Government of Alberta offices will not have additional information until that time. When details are available they will be posted on emergency.alberta.ca and available through 310-4455. In order to allow for immediate distribution to people most urgently in need of this assistance, we are asking evacuees who are not in dire need of these funds not to claim them immediately.
• The Disaster Recovery Program (DRP) will allocate an initial $200 million for emergency costs. Disaster recovery programs provide financial assistance for municipalities and their citizens who incur uninsurable loss and damage as a result of a disastrous event. This amount was already included in Budget 2016 to cover emergency events.
• The Wood Buffalo Ministerial Recovery Task Force has been established to:
  • ensure safety and security in the affected areas;
  • support the needs of the communities;
  • plan the timely re-entry of residents when it is safe to do so; and
  • support the resumption of municipal, economic and business activities.
• Convoys of vehicles were temporarily halted at about 1 p.m. today due to wildfire smoke on Highway 63 south of Fort McMurray. They resumed about an hour later. Traffic is flowing south on Highway 63 from the Parsons Creek Interchange under RCMP control.
• Fire conditions remain extreme, with 12 new starts across Alberta yesterday. A total of 40 wildfires are burning, with five out of control, eight being held, 21 under control and six turned over to the responsible parties.
• A provincewide ban on the use of off-highway vehicles, due to the risk these vehicles pose in the very dry conditions Alberta is experiencing, is in effect.
• A provincial fire ban remains in effect across Alberta. All fire permits are suspended and no new permits will be issued. All open fires, including campfires and charcoal briquettes, are prohibited.
• Temperatures in the high teens and winds gusting up to 40 kilometres per hour will make firefighting challenging.
• More than 1,200 firefighters, approximately 110 helicopters, 295 pieces of heavy equipment and more than 27 air tankers are fighting the fires across the province.
• Fort McMurray, Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates and Fort McMurray First Nation remain under a mandatory evacuation order.

Related Links

• BC Wildfires Spark Evacuation Order, State of Emergency near Fort St. John May 6, 2016
• Fort McMurray Wildfire Expected to Keep Growing: Officials May 6, 2016
• Fort McMurray Wildfire has Destroyed 1,600 Buildings: Alberta Premier May 5, 2016
• Wildfire Forces Evacuation Order for 60,000+ in Fort McMurray, Canada May 4, 2016