B.C.’s forests minister says a provincewide state of emergency due to wildfires has ended, but wildfire risk remains.
The province declared a state of emergency on Aug. 8 after the Bald Range wildfire forced the evacuation of thousands of Summerland-area residents.
The state of emergency was extended on Aug. 21, but Forests Minister Ravi Parmar told journalists in Summerland Thursday that the tools are no longer necessary.
“We are not done with this wildfire season. We still have many days and weeks ahead. We know that our fire seasons are more intense and they are longer. But we don’t need these tools at this time,” Parmar said.
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He encouraged tourists to return to the Okanagan to help businesses get back on their feet.
“I think it’s also equally important for me to say to a community that is struggling because of the impact of this that they need your help right now,” he said.
“It’s important for us to recognize the strength of Summerland, and the best way we can do that is by buying local, buying B.C., coming up and flooding their hotel rooms and spending our money here.”
The B.C. Wildfire Service announced Thursday that they are lifting an offroad vehicle ban that was put in place in many parts of the province.
The ban is set to expire Friday at noon PT.
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“With improving conditions in some regions of B.C., and cooler wetter weather in the forecast we are now able to rescind these prohibitions,” reads a statement from the B.C. Wildfire Service on Thursday.
“We continue to monitor wildfire risk and prohibitions may be implemented or rescinded as conditions change.”
On Aug. 10, the province banned the use of any offroad vehicle for recreational purposes on Crown land throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre and Southeast Fire Centre, as well as parts of the Cariboo and Coastal fire centres.
