B.C. premier says wildfires prompted unprecedented second state of emergency
VANCOUVER — Premier John Horgan says successive B.C. governments have budgeted “laughable” amounts of money to fight wildfires that are becoming all too common through the ravages of climate change.
Horgan said Tuesday during a visit to Prince George that the sky in the northern city turned jet black one morning last week from fires burning in nearby communities.
“We have serious challenges for public health and we need to adapt our policy making, working with all levels of government to make sure that as we go forward we’re better prepared,” said Horgan, flanked by federal Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, Mayor Lyn Hall and Grand Chief Ed John of the First Nations Summit.
“Clearly, we are going to overshoot the budget again this year, which has happened repeatedly,” Horgan said, adding both federal and provincial governments must ensure adequate resources are available to safeguard communities.