‘Do not travel to fire-affected areas’: Albertans, it’s time to cancel your trip into B.C.

KELOWNA – If you have a trip booked to visit the Okanagan, it’s time to cancel your reservations.

B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth did not mince words Monday when he urged people to avoid vacationing in places like the Okanagan, which is being overwhelmed by wildfires, evacuations, and evacuation alerts.

“Given the conditions we’re seeing in our communities and on our highways, I want to be clear: do not travel to fire-affected areas for non-essential reasons. We want to ensure that people in fire-affected communities will be able to evacuate if necessary and access the supports that they need,” he said.

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RELATED: Wildfire destroys homes and vacation properties near Kelowna

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“If you are planning to travel to those areas, it’s time to change your plans. Instead, visit an area of the province where your presence won’t strain local resources and will have a positive impact,” the safety minister added.

Farnworth says he wants to make sure that people living in fire-affected areas are able to evacuate as necessary and to access supports if they need them.

That includes making sure there are open hotel rooms for people fleeing fires.

Farnworth says B.C. is working with local governments, First Nations, and the Hotel Association to make sure that people who need to leave their homes have somewhere safe to go.

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RELATED:

• Wildfires near Merritt, Kamloops, West Kelowna threaten homes, close Coquihalla

• Property insurers update risk modelling as Canada braces for climate impacts

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B.C.’s wildfire situation has been escalating in recent weeks. Over the weekend, the July Mountain fire jumped the Coquihalla highway, merging with another blaze on the other side and shutting Highway 5 down between Hope and Merritt.

That has complicated the situation for many people who have been trying to get out of the B.C. Interior to the Lower Mainland. While the Coquihalla remains closed, Highway 5A and Highway 3 are both open, providing drivers with alternate routes.

There are currently more than 260 wildfires burning across the province, the majority of them in the Kamloops and Southeast fire centres.

Both those areas are home to popular travel destinations, such as the Okanagan and the Kootenays.

-with files from NEWS 1130