B.C. orders fire-zone travel bans as evacuations soar to 35,000

Photo: The Canadian Press

The McDougall Creek wildfire burns on the mountainside above lakefront homes in West Kelowna, B.C., on Friday.

UPDATE 3:05 p.m.

The provincial government says its order banning people from staying in temporary accommodations for non-essential purposes is in place as of today until Sept. 4.

The order applies to: Kelowna-West Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton and Vernon.

The order defines temporary accommodations as hotels, motels, inns, bed and breakfasts, hostels, RV parks and campgrounds.

Read the formal order here.

UPDATE 2 p.m.

A day after the B.C. government declared a provincial state of emergency, Premier David Eby has used that power to implement a tourist travel ban for areas that are currently impacted by fires, like the Okanagan.

“This order will restrict travel in fire-affected areas when you are travelling for the purposes of staying in temporary accommodations, like a hotel, motel, provincial park or campground," he said Saturday. "This order says stay off the roads for tourist related non essential travel to stay in temporary accommodation.”

He noted the order does not affect people who are already in hotels.

“But we're really encouraging people who are in hotels and motels to talk to the operator and go home early," Eby added. "When you check out early, you're freeing up a hotel room for someone who's fleeing a wildfire. You're freeing up a hotel room for a firefighter who is battling forest fires in the area.

“We need all the accommodation we can get.”

Cliff Chapman of the BC Wildfire Service urged people to stay away from fire-affected regions like the Okanagan and Shuswap.

“Please do not come into areas that affected by wildfires," he said. "We need that space, we need the airspace, we need the roadways. That is how our first responders get around, that is how we work to suppress the fires and how we work to protect people's homes.”

Eby also said Solicitor General Mike Farnworth has also authorized emergency provisions to allow municipal RCMP resources to be deployed to evacuated areas and secure empty properties.

ORIGINAL: 1:38 p.m.

British Columbia Premier David Eby says the scale of the wildfire evacuations means the government will be issuing an order to restrict travel to fire-affected areas to ensure accommodation is available for evacuees and emergency personnel.

Eby says the number of people ordered to evacuate wildfire zones has more than doubled to 35,000 people.

More to come.