The B.C. government announced that a province-wide state of emergency was cancelled at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 7. The measure was declared on Aug. 15 in response to the summer wildfire crisis.
According to a statement from the province, the decision was made based on weather forecasts, as rain and cooler temperatures have reduced the wildfire risk in most parts of B.C, including the Sunshine Coast.
Those weather conditions will help efforts to contain the wildfire northwest of Powell River on East Redonda Island near the head of Pendrell Sound, which was first reported on August 24.
According to BC Wildfire Service Coastal Fire Centre information officer Dorthe Jakobsen, the Pendrell Sound fire is classified as modified.
According to BC Parks, which manages the East Redonda ecological reserve, “a modified wildfire is managed using a combination of suppression techniques, including direct and indirect attack, and monitoring to steer, contain or otherwise manage fire activity within a predetermined perimeter.”
There has been a significant reduction in the number of properties under evacuation order and many B.C. residents affected are now returning home.
As of Friday morning, 485 wildfires were burning in B.C., with 19 evacuation orders affecting approximately 1,994 individuals, plus 39 evacuation alerts affecting approximately 4,848 residents.
Meanwhile, the province lifted campfire bans Friday in some parts of province, but not in the Sunshine Coast and Powell River region.
