Sep 06, 2023 – Karin Larsen/CBC News

The province has declared this year’s wildfires an event that is eligible for disaster financial assistance (DFA), and communities can now apply for funding help to repair damaged public infrastructure.

British Columbia’s worst wildfire season on record has seen more than 2,000 wildfires since April 1 and over 22,000 square kilometres burned, including significant damage to population centres like West Kelowna and the north Shuswap.

“These numbers are astronomical,” said Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Bowinn Ma. “It has been a relentless fire season which has been compounded by severe drought and the impact of climate change.”

DFA money is available to local governments and First Nations to assist in a slate of work and expenses related to rebuilding or repairing “essential” public infrastructure and paying insurance deductibles.

“The full extent of the damage caused so far through this wildfire season is not yet known, but this doesn’t change the pain and hardship many people are going through. It is profound,” said Ma.

Read the full article at cbc.ca.