The BC Wildfires have displaced more than 14,300 people from their homes in the Northern Interior, Cariboo-Chilcotin, and North Okanagan regions.
As a result, evacuees have made their way North to Prince George, seeking help, shelter, and resources until the situation is further resolved and more fires have been contained.
For evacuees and interested volunteers, please follow the information below for links related to wildfire updates, important emergency information, social media coverage, current weather conditions, and ways the community can get involved.
BC WILDFIRE SERVICE:
The BC Wildfire Service provides details on where current fires are burning, including how big they are, if they’re contained, and how many firefighters are both on scene, and on their way.
For instant information, you can visit their Facebook or Twitter accounts.
To report a fire, smoke columns, or wildfire violations, you can call the service directly at 1 (800) 663-5555, or text *5555 on your mobile device.
Out-of-province firefighting personnel have started to arrive in #BC to assist with our #BCwildfire situation: https://t.co/VuD3pIAQp4 pic.twitter.com/MG3YotvnpJ
— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) July 11, 2017
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BC:
Todd Stone, Minister responsible for Emergency Management BC (EMBC), boasts how important it is to be as prepared as possible in situations such as wildfires.
EMBC relays information from local municipalities on whether an evacuation alert/order has been issued for residents.
Searchable map of #evacuation orders & alerts in the @CaribooRD now available: https://t.co/TMvRgiwdnV #BCwildfire
— Emergency Info BC (@EmergencyInfoBC) July 11, 2017
For instant information, you can visit their Twitter page, or call them directly at 1 (800) 663-7867.
British Columbians can also access Prepared BC online, and on Twitter, as a learning source for future natural disasters.
Check out firesmoke.ca for #BCWildfire smoke forecasts in your area: https://t.co/K16PUXvg0P. pic.twitter.com/qqFUlmzMhS
— PreparedBC (@PreparedBC) July 12, 2017
DRIVE BC:
This tool allows evacuees to see which roads are closed due to the wildfires, and to find a route that can connect them with the Lower Mainland should they need to travel there.
Drive BC can also be contacted via its Twitter page, and someone will respond to the tweet.
ENVIRONMENT CANADA:
Up-to-date weather conditions via Environment Canada can be found here.
Curious where the #BCwildfire Smoke is heading? Check our this handy resource BlueSky: https://t.co/yJH6bIXxQA pic.twitter.com/TP9N8nVz4O
— ECCC Weather BC (@ECCCWeatherBC) July 11, 2017
CITY OF PRINCE GEORGE:
Prince George has taken in more than 3,200 evacuees due to the wildfires, in which the City has created an evacuation information page on its website.
It includes all the latest information on the wildfires for evacuees and Northern Health’s air quality advisories.
Prince George City Council is encouraging those willing to donate to give to the Red Cross BC Fires appeal campaign.
You can help support those who have been impacted by #BCfires by donating: https://t.co/WuxgvySrD6 pic.twitter.com/bbGJxpaOKu
— Canadian Red Cross (@redcrosscanada) July 12, 2017
For those wishing to volunteer, you can go to the College of New Caledonia (CNC), or contact Volunteer Prince George (VPG), or post on the City’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
VPG can also be reached at (250) 564-0224.
The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) also has a directory on its website for local district and First Nations contact information, such as 100 Mile House and Williams Lake.
Here's one way to support British Columbians impacted by the current wild fires https://t.co/0RIXPOvbEs
— UBCM (@UBCM) July 10, 2017