PEMBERTON, B.C. — British Columbia Premier Christy Clark is expected to visit a community north of Whistler this afternoon to get a closer look at the province’s largest wildfires.
Clark will be in Pemberton, which is 67 kilometres east of the 20,000-hectare Elaho fire that was sparked by lightning and first discovered on June 14.
The Ministry of Forests says 184 fires were burning around the province, engaging more than 1,000 personnel and triggering evacuation orders and alerts, as well as air-quality advisories.
Forests Minister Steve Thomson says 70 firefighters from Ontario were expected to arrive yesterday, and the province will be getting help from Australian crews, while firefighters from New Zealand will likely head to Alberta.
Kurtis Isfeld of the BC Wildfire Service says he predicts about 30 wildfires will erupt every day, and officials have begun prioritizing them based on human life and safety, property, critical habitat and timber.
B.C. has also imposed a campfire ban across the province, including the so-called fog zone, which covers some of the dampest regions along the coast.