British Columbia has ended its wildfire-related State of Provincial Emergency, but provincial officials are warning residents that wildfire season is not over and existing local evacuation orders and alerts remain in effect.
British Columbia has ended its State of Provincial Emergency related to the wildfire situation, effective Thursday, Aug. 27, as the province continues responding to fires and supporting affected communities.
The end of the province-wide emergency does not cancel existing States of Local Emergency, Evacuation Orders or Evacuation Alerts.
That means people living in or travelling through affected areas must continue to follow instructions issued by local authorities, including requirements to leave communities or properties covered by evacuation orders.
While the provincial declaration has ended, officials stressed that wildfire season remains active and conditions can change.
The province said it will continue responding to the wildfire situation and providing support to communities experiencing impacts from fires.
Residents and visitors are being encouraged to remain prepared, monitor changing conditions and follow directions from emergency officials.
Anyone planning to travel is also being advised to check conditions before leaving, particularly when travelling through areas experiencing wildfire activity.
Provincial officials recommend checking information from the BC Wildfire Service, EmergencyInfoBC and DriveBC for current wildfire activity, evacuation information and road conditions.
The lifting of the provincial state of emergency represents a change in the province-wide emergency response, but it does not mean the wildfire threat across British Columbia has ended.
Local emergency measures can continue independently, and evacuation orders and alerts already issued by local authorities remain in place unless those authorities officially rescind them.
Residents in communities under an evacuation alert should therefore remain prepared to leave if conditions worsen, while anyone under an evacuation order should continue following the instructions of local officials.
The province is urging British Columbians and visitors to remain cautious for the remainder of the wildfire season and to continue monitoring official sources for the latest information.
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