Wildfires

The provincial government said it will provide $1,300 per month to eligible households while they transition to long-term housing.

The organization has already responded to over double its yearly average number of structure fire-related activations, according to a presentation to Parksville council by Aaron Dawson, emergency program coordinator for EMO.

Cooler seasonal weather and precipitation, combined with the hard work of firefighters from B.C., Canada and abroad to contain and extinguish fires, means the province can return to a standard emergency response.

Expenses include reseeding forage and replacing fencing or other critical infrastructure that is not insurable and was damaged or destroyed in the fires.

To access the support, British Columbians must register with the Red Cross by calling 1 (800) 863-6582, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Pacific time, the province said.

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) has been approved for six grants totalling $45,425 for firefighting and personal protective equipment (PPE) for local volunteer fire departments (VFD).

So far nearly 825,000 hectares of land have burned, more than quadruple the 10 year average for this point in the season, according to BC Wildfire Service.

The air quality alert issued by Environment Canada for east Vancouver Island was lifted today.

The region, along with much of southern B.C., is likely to be impacted by wildfire smoke over the next 24–48 hours, according to a media release from Environment Canada.

B.C. is preparing for another heat wave, which is forecast to last until Aug. 15