Visitors are asked to cancel non-essential travel to the Central Interior and Southeast of British Columbia as almost 400 wildfires are currently burning in the province, affecting train travel and some roads in BC’s scenic Okanagan Valley wine region.
In a statement about the Canadian wildfires and the State of Emergency declared in BC, Premier David Eby and Minister of Emergency Management & Climate Readiness Bowinn Ma said: “This year, we are facing the worst wildfire season ever in British Columbia. Over the past 24 hours, the situation has evolved rapidly and we are in for an extremely challenging situation in the days ahead.”
The BC wildfires have affected VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer services and some road travel along Highway 1 in the Thompson Okanagan area, which includes the city of Kelowna, around four hours’ drive from Vancouver.
Kelowna International Airport is also closed to facilitate firefighters in the Kelowna area.
Until 4 September 2023, temporary accommodation in Kelowna-West Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton and Vernon is available for essential purposes only as residents evacuate.
This order also affects Rocky Mountaineer passengers on the ‘First Passage to the West’ and ‘Journey through the Clouds’ itineraries as Kamloops is the overnight location for these rail routes.
Cancelled departures include 20 August: Banff/Lake Louise to Vancouver and 21 August: Vancouver to Banff/Lake Louise. Guests booked on the 20 August: Jasper to Vancouver departure have alternative accommodation.
Destination BC told Karryon that travel agents can access the most up-to-date information on the wildfire here. Advisors can also check directly with local tour operator providers and businesses.
Yellowknife wildfires
In the Northwest Territories, the 20,000 residents of the capital, Yellowknife, evacuated on Friday.
More than 19,000 Yellowknife residents left the remote city by air or road as firefighting crews and essential staff remained to combat the blaze.
Yellowknife Airport also ceased commercial flights in and out of the city on Friday.
As of today, more than 1,000 wildfires are burning across Canada in the country’s worst wildfire season on record, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).
