B.C.’s provincial health officer to hold news conference amid wildfire smoke warnings

British Columbia's provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, is scheduled to hold a news conference Tuesday amid widespread wildfire smoke blanketing the southern half of the province. She will be joined by Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene and Forests Minister Ravi Parmar.

Significant portions of the province are under orange and yellow air quality warnings due to major wildfires burning near Boston Bar and in the Cariboo and Okanagan regions. These fires have led to hazardous air conditions for residents.

Currently, more than 120 wildfires are active across British Columbia. Several of these blazes have already resulted in the destruction of hundreds of homes and forced thousands of residents to evacuate their communities. The ongoing fire activity poses a severe threat to public safety and infrastructure.

Agriculture Minister Lana Popham urged British Columbians to support businesses impacted by the wildfires. She emphasized the critical timing for businesses in the Okanagan region, which have faced disruptions from evacuations, road closures, and smoke. Popham encouraged consumers to "look for local and to buy B.C." products to aid affected farmers and small businesses during this challenging period.

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As families, workers and small businesses in Summerland and across the Okanagan continue to respond to and recover from wildfires and evacuations, British Columbians have a simple way to show their support for affected farmers: look for local and to buy B.C.