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B.C. Ends Provincewide Wildfire State of Emergency

The government removed extra emergency powers because officials judged them unnecessary as crews continue to battle dozens of active fires.

Overview

  • The province rescinded the state of emergency on Thursday after emergency-management advisers told officials the special powers were no longer needed.
  • The Bald Range fire near Summerland is now classed as being held inside a roughly 252-square-kilometre perimeter after forcing about 20,000 people to evacuate and damaging or destroying about 150 structures with one reported death.
  • Evacuation alerts around Boston Bar were cancelled by the Fraser Valley Regional District following BC Wildfire Service advice even though the Brunswick Creek and Ainslie Creek fires remain out of control and together cover more than 700 square kilometres.
  • A two-kilometre stretch of Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon reopened with single-lane alternating traffic to allow BC Hydro to restore poles and lines, with short full closures still possible for blasting and tree-falling work.
  • Lightning in recent days has sparked dozens of new blazes, pushing active fires to roughly 200–210 across the province, and officials say the offroad vehicle ban will expire while they stand ready to reinstate emergency tools if conditions worsen.