Attachments
This bulletin is being issued for information only and reflects the current situation and details available at this time. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is not seeking funding or other assistance from donors for this operation. The Canadian Red Cross Society will, however, accept direct assistance to provide support to the affected population. For further information, please visit www.redcross.ca
The situation
Forest fires in the province of British Columbia in western Canada have displaced 45,000 people since July 7. More than 155 fires are currently burning throughout the province, leading the Provincial Government to declare a state of emergency. To - date there have been 669 fires, burning 320,833 hectares. There are now an e stimated 43,441 individuals under evacuation orders and a further 24,519 on evacuation alert. These figures are released by the Government of British Columbia. The authorities in the province are leading the response with firefighters, emergency response personnel and equipment.
The authorities have activated local emergency response plans and are coordinating the evacuation of affected persons. The majority of the displaced persons are hosted with friends and family while many are housed in congregate sh elters with information being provided through reception centres.
The weather outlook for the next weeks predicts a continuation of dry and hot weather. One of the main hazards is the shifting of the winds which continues to affect new communities with fi re danger and smoke resulting in new evacuations.
The forest fires are happening during a period of dry weather conditions at the beginning of the forest fire season. The last major forest fire in the province was in 2003 which affected 50,000 persons.