State of emergency extended in B.C. due to wildfire risk – Surrey Now-Leader

Published 3:04 pm Friday, August 21, 2026
By Lauren Collins/Black Press
The provincial government is extending it’s state of emergency for one more week due to the ongoing wildfire risk.
The state of emergency, which was first declared two weeks, is now extended until Saturday, Aug. 29, the government announced Friday (Aug. 21).
The province says the extension follows advice from emergency-management officials. It allows the province to have access to emergency powers under the Emergency and Disaster Management Act if they are required.
So far, the provincial government hasn’t needed to issue emergency orders to respond to the current wildfire situation.
Premier David Eby declared the state of emergency on Aug. 8, following a night of fast-moving fires, including the Bald Range wildfire that led to the evacuation of the District of Summerland.
At the time, more than 20,000 people were evacuated from their homes.
Since then, most people have returned to their homes. However, thousands of people continue to be on evacuation alerts and orders.
The province says the wildfire risk in the Okanagan region, and other parts, remains elevated due to the warm and dry conditions.

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