Question Period Note: Wildfires in British Columbia

To inform on the current wildfire situation in British Columbia.

• The Government of Canada is committed to working with provinces, territories and whole-of-society partners to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from wildfire events.
• We maintain continuous communication with our federal, provincial and territorial partners, including Indigenous Communities, and impacts on communities are monitored on a 24/7 basis.
• Public Safety Canada’s Government Operations Centre, on behalf of the Government of Canada, is the lead for federal response coordination for emergency events affecting the national interest and works in close collaboration with federal organizations, non-governmental organizations and provincial emergency management partners.
• The Government Operations Centre mobilized its event response team in April and continues to monitor and report on wildland fire events.
• Emergencies are managed first at the local level. If municipal and local governments need assistance at the local level, they request it from the province or territory. If the emergency overwhelms provincial/territorial capacity, the province or territory may seek assistance from the federal government.
• The wildfire situation in British Columbia continues to be well-managed at the provincial level. To date, no requests for federal assistance have been received from British Columbia in response to wildland fires.

Responsive lines (if prompted):
• Residents are reminded to exercise caution and should continue to follow instructions provided by law enforcement and first responders.
• Should a province or territory make an official request for federal assistance, there is a well-established process in place for managing these requests through the Government Operations Centre and includes interdepartmental consultation and coordination.
• We are grateful for the tireless work of emergency responders on the front lines and behind the scenes. They are making a difference, and I—and all Canadians—are immensely grateful.

Public Safety Canada’s Government Operations Centre (GOC) is mandated, on behalf of the Government of Canada, to lead and support response coordination of events affecting the national interest. It is an interdepartmental response-focused asset of the Government of Canada working in support of deputy heads, departments and agencies at the national (strategic) whole-of-government level. It brings all partners into a common environment to harmonize collective actions and abilities into efficient analysis and action.

Each year, in consultation with partners, the GOC completes a comprehensive risk assessment and planning process in advance of flooding and the wildland urban interface seasons. The intent is to increase federal preparedness to support provinces and territories for potential spring flooding and urban interface wildfires. The final outcomes include a national risk assessment and the Government of Canada Contingency Plan for each of these cyclical events. The objective of these contingency plans is to outline a coordinated structure for an integrated federal response to flooding or wildfire events, in support of the provinces and territories (PT), for regions of concern. The contingency plan also provides strategic guidance and orientation for planning and response personnel at the national level.

During the flooding and wildfire seasons, our government maintains continuous communication with our federal and provincial partners, including Indigenous Communities, while monitoring impacts on communities on a 24/7 basis.

Climate change is making natural disasters more severe, more frequent, more damaging and more expensive. In the past few years, the Minister of Public Safety, on behalf of the federal government, has accepted increasing numbers of requests for assistance (RFAs) for relief efforts from devastating events including the recent impacts from Hurricane Fiona, Atmospheric River events, and 2023 wildfires.

Current Situation (As of September 10, 2024, at 09:00hrs EST)

British Columbia

The Agency Preparedness Level for British Columbia is at level 2: the demand for mobilization of firefighters and equipment from other jurisdictions is light. There are 133 active fires and 25 out of control. Wildfires remain active in the northeast portion of the province. Generally, the wildfire situation in British Columbia is stable and being successfully managed by the province.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC)

The CIFFC is at a National Preparedness Level (NPL) of 3: Demand and mobilization of interagency resources through CIFFC is moderate to high and the potential for emerging significant wildland fires is normal for the time of year.

Requests for Federal Assistance

When a PT makes an official RFA, there is a well-established process in place for managing RFAs, through the GOC at Public Safety Canada, that includes interdepartmental consultation and coordination of all departments as required. The GOC coordinates formal RFAs from the federal government and PTs and liaises with key organizations such as the Canadian Armed Forces and non-governmental organizations like the Canadian Red Cross through the Humanitarian Work force program.

When the emergency involves a First Nation (FN) community, FN leadership, depending on relevant emergency management agreements, will work in collaboration with their PTs and/or ISC or regional officials, to assess the emergency and propose a response. If a resolution is not possible at the regional level, a request for assistance may be sought.

The GOC and provincial and territorial partners maintain continuous communication and share situational awareness. The GOC will continue to monitor activities in conjunction with its partners and be prepared to respond to any requests for federal assistance.

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