Vancouver: British Columbia’s Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma on Monday said there are now 8,000 people in the province who are evacuated from their properties due to ongoing wildfires — a large decrease from the 30,000 figure recorded a week ago.
Ma said the province is also working closely with local authorities in Central Okanagan to process cases where evacuated residents were not able to get their emergency accommodation costs reimbursed after initially paying out-of-pocket.
She said emergency services are normally provided the same day it is requested and isn’t available retroactively, but she is aware of long wait times for accommodation referrals that pushed some residents to cover costs on their own.
The minister said she has asked support services in the Kelowna area to assess possible additional support for these residents “with compassion and flexibility.” — Canadian Press