B.C. lifts wildfire emergency and off-road ban as fire risk eases

The province of British Columbia has officially ended the state of emergency that was declared on August 8 following the Bald Range wildfire that forced thousands of residents in the Summerland area to evacuate. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar told reporters that while the emergency tools are no longer needed, the wildfire season remains active and could persist for weeks. He appealed to tourists to help revive the local economy by staying in the Okanagan and purchasing provincial goods.

In parallel, the B.C. Wildfire Service announced the removal of the off-road vehicle prohibition that had been applied to Crown land in the Kamloops, Southeast, Cariboo and Coastal fire centres on August 10. The ban will cease at noon PT on Friday, as weather forecasts show cooler, wetter conditions and fire risk is decreasing, though officials will continue to monitor the situation.