Thousands sign petition calling on B.C. to declare state of emergency over wildfires

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Calls are growing for B.C. to declare a state of emergency due to wildfires that are burning across the province.

A petition is pressing the provincial government to make a move, asking “what will it take for proper action and outside help to arrive in B.C. to tackle these large fires?”

“With the recent devastating news of Lytton being completely destroyed by the roaring wildfires, this should have been an automatic call to declare a State of Emergency in B.C.,” reads the Change.org petiton.

A fire forced the entire village to evacuate on June 30. Flames wiped out 90 per cent of homes and buildings in the community, and left two people dead.

Related articles: 

• ‘Too many First Nations are at risk:’ B.C. Indigenous leaders demand wildfire state of emergency

• Still no state of emergency in BC following devastating wildfires

Many have questioned the province’s decision to not declare a state of emergency, which would give the minister in charge the power to “do all acts and implement all procedures that the minister considers necessary to prevent, respond to or alleviate the effects of an emergency or a disaster.”

“Would it take leveling a City like Kamloops, Kelowna or Vernon? Look [how] fast the fire roared through Lytton, those poor people didn’t have a chance to even prepare before being evacuated,” the petition reads.

Hundreds of wildfires are currently burning across B.C., and many communities are either on evacuation order or alert.

As of Monday morning, the petition gathered close to its target of 15,000 signatures.

Related video: Criticism of government response to B.C. wildfires

Earlier this month, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs joined the chorus of voices demanding the province declare a state of emergency, saying wildfires are disproportionately threatening First Nations communities.

Premier John Horgan was asked on Thursday why his government still hasn’t made the declaration, to which he maintained such a move was not yet necessary.

“I’m absolutely prepared to call a state of emergency when it is required by those professionals that are putting their lives on the line to protect families, and property in British Columbia,” he said. “I think most British Columbians would prefer that I listened to the people that know what they’re doing, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.”

He reiterated that “when the professionals ask for it, we’ll do it. They haven’t yet.”