Provincial state of emergency ends, wildfire risk remains

VICTORIA -

Summary

• The Province has ended the state of provincial emergency, initially declared on Aug. 8, 2026
• There is no impact to existing states of local emergency, evacuation orders or evacuation alerts
• Wildfire risk remains elevated in many parts of the province, and people are encouraged to stay prepared and follow the direction of their local government or First Nation

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The state of provincial emergency in British Columbia has come to an end, though wildfire risk remains high in much of the province and people are urged to remain prepared.

The state of provincial emergency, which was initially declared on Aug. 8, 2026, will come to an end on Aug. 27, 2026. The decision follows advice from emergency management officials.

The state of provincial emergency was enacted to ensure emergency powers and other tools could be made available quickly if needed. Fortunately, the Province did not need to use those emergency powers.

The Wildfire Act and Emergency and Disaster Management Act continues to provide the Province with the legislative tools currently needed to respond to wildfire emergencies, including the co-ordination of provincial and international resources. The Province continues to actively support local governments and First Nations with emergency response.

The cancellation of the state of provincial emergency has no effect on current evacuation orders, evacuation alerts or local states of emergencies put in place by local governments or First Nations.

Most local governments and First Nations affected by wildfires are now shifting into community-led recovery and the Province continues to support that work. The end of the state of emergency does not affect recovery efforts.

Although the state of emergency has ended, wildfire risk remains elevated in many parts of the province due to ongoing warm and dry conditions. The Province continues to actively monitor the situation and can declare a new state of emergency if needed.

Continue to be prepared

People throughout the province are encouraged to remain prepared and stay alert to changing wildfire conditions.

People are encouraged to:

• Check emergency plans and make sure everyone in the family knows what to do in case of an evacuation alert or order.
• Pre-register for Emergency Support Services through the B.C. Services Card app or the website: https://ess.gov.bc.ca/
• Pack grab-and-go bags for each member of the household, including pets. Bags should have medications, important papers, phone chargers, water, food and clothes. Keep bags at home, at work and in the car.
• Stay informed by checking with local government, First Nation or EmergencyInfoBC.ca for the latest emergency information.
• If directed to evacuate, follow all instructions from local officials.

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