People urged to stay vigilant as wildfire, drought risk remains severe

Despite scattered showers throughout much of the province on Monday, July 24, 2023, people are urged to be prepared and continue to follow all regional fire prohibitions and local water restrictions due to extreme wildfire risks and the ongoing drought.

Despite recent rain, most of the province remains in a Drought Level 4 or Drought Level 5 classification. People, businesses and governments throughout the province are encouraged to continue water conservation efforts. Additionally, the wildfire danger rating for the southern part of the province remains high to extreme, with pockets of the northeast of B.C. sharing similar conditions.

This past weekend, fires in the Kamloops Fire Centre experienced significant growth. The Ross Moore Lake Fire south of Kamloops covers 2,600 hectares. Additionally, an evacuation order has been expanded in the Casper Creek area to include people in Seton Portage and the Tsal’alh First Nation. People should follow directions from their First Nation or local authority when placed under an evacuation order or alert. As of July 24, there are approximately 1,030 people under evacuation order in B.C., and 3,700 people under evacuation alert.