A provincewide state of emergency issued in response to the wildfires threatening B.C. communities has been extended for another week. The government said the extension—which allows the province to use extraordinary powers under the Emergency and Disaster Management Act—was recommended by emergency management officials. So far, the government has not needed to exercise any of those powers, but the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness noted the province still faces elevated wildfire risk. “Maintaining the state of emergency ensures the tools needed to respond quickly remain available as wildfire conditions continue to evolve,” the ministry said in a news release Friday. The state of emergency is now scheduled to remain in place until Aug. 29. The declaration was made nearly two weeks ago, after the Bald Range wildfire forced the evacuation of the entire District of Summerland. Thousands of evacuees have since been allowed to return home to that community and others, but there are still some 1,700 properties under evacuation order across the province, and another 15,600 on evacuation alert.
