â–ş Listen Live
â–ş Listen Live

BC implementing travel restrictions in fire-impacted areas as 30,000+ evacuated

Temporary accommodations like hotels and campgrounds in Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Penticton, Vernon, and the surrounding area are no longer available for booking.

Instead, all of the available space will be given to people who have been evacuated and to first responders fighting fires in the area.

BC Premier David Eby made the announcement at a provincial news conference this afternoon (Saturday).

This does not impact people currently staying in accommodations, but Eby is calling on vacationers and people taking these spaces to pack up early and go home.

“The goal is to free up accommodation,” Eby said. “When you check out early, you are freeing up a hotel room for someone that is fleeing a wildfire, [or] a firefighter that is battling forest fires in the area.”

It also does not impact people travelling to the area to stay in private residences, but Eby, Bowinn Ma, the Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, and Cliff Chapman, the BC Wildfire Service’s Director of Provincial Operations, all urged residents to stay away from the area unless it is absolutely necessary.

“We shouldn’t need an order,” Eby said. “Please stay out of these areas.”

According to Ma, as of 1:45 this afternoon 30,000 people in BC have been evacuated, and 36,000 more are on an evacuation alert and could be told to leave their homes at any time.

Fires are still showing “aggressive growth,” Chapman used the Adams Lake wildfire in the Shuswap area as an example – in just 12 hours it moved 20 kilometers, and now has the region largely evacuated.

Chapman showed a map of McDougall Lake, which has evacuated tens of thousands from West Kelowna and has jumped the lake into the City of Kelowna.

The red dots indicate where the fire has spread in the last 24 hours.

While an unknown number of homes have been lost in West Kelowna, Chapman said no new confirmed structure losses happened overnight yesterday.

Over 30,000 hectares have burned in BC in the last 24 hours, and around 70,000 have burned in the last 48.

The BC Wildfire Service is still forecasting high winds and conditions conducive to further fire growth.

Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].

Continue Reading

cjci Now playing play

cirx Now playing play

- Advertisement -

Related Articles

- Advertisement -

Latest News

City Council approves budget to replace damaged garbage truck

Prince George City Council has voted to replace a garbage truck in the city. At last night's (Monday) meeting, City Council approved a budget of $750,000 for the purchase.  According to Director of Civic Operations Blake McIntosh, this will replace a garbage truck damaged in a motor vehicle incident in May last year. 

PG RCMP investigating two assaults resulting in one dead in downtown area

The Prince George RCMP is looking for witnesses for a pair of assaults on July 4th.

Cops for Cancer Tour de North hosting training ride in honour of former member

The Cops for Cancer Tour de North team will be holding a scheduled group ride on Sunday morning, their first without Shane Kelly after passing during a hit and run in PG last week. The ride will begin just after 8am from the overflow parking lot of the PG Aquatic Centre on 18th Avenue. The public is encouraged to arrive for the send off 15 minutes earlier (7:45 AM).

B.C. expands heat pump rebates to some renters, condo owners

British Columbia is expanding its heat pump rebate program to eligible apartment renters and condo owners. 

UNBC’s Athletic Director representing PG at World University Summer Games

125 varsity athletes from across Canada are dawning the Maple Leaf for almost two weeks as they participate in the FISU World University Summer Games in Germany starting tomorrow (Wednesday). The athletes will compete in nine sports: archery, artistic gymnastics, athletics, badminton, rhythmic gymnastics, rowing, swimming, table tennis and taekwondo.
- Advertisement -