A state of emergency was declared in the Canadian province of British Columbia as firefighters battled wildfires that forced thousands of residents to leave their homes. Addressing a press conference on Friday (local time), British Columbia's premier David Eby announced the state of emergency. The wildfire situation in the province, according to him, has "evolved and deteriorated" quickly, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported.
According to Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma, the number of individuals in British Columbia under an evacuation order increased from 4,500 to 15,000 in just one hour. A further 20,000 people are under evacuation alert, he added. Meanwhile, Eby said that the state of emergency will allow several legal tools to issue specific orders and to ensure that resources are available.
What provincial govt said on emergency?
The provincial government said in a statement that a state of emergency enables the province to issue emergency orders, which may include travel restrictions if individuals ignore warnings to avoid unnecessary travel to the southeast of British Columbia and the central Interior.
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.”
Northwest Territories issue statement
“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.
It should be mentioned here that the community of N’dilo is also under an evacuation order. Those unable to leave by vehicle can register for an air evacuation, officials said in the release.
(With ANI inputs)
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