Travel restrictions for people staying in temporary accommodations due to wildfires in BC's southern interior have been lifted by the BC government, with the exception of West Kelowna..“The order will be lifted for Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton, and Vernon as of Wednesday," said BC Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister, Bowinn Ma in a Tuesday statement. .“Non-essential travel to West Kelowna continues to be prohibited for the purpose of staying in temporary accommodation, including hotels, motels, inns, bed and breakfasts, hostels, RV parks and campgrounds to ensure accommodation is available for those who may need it.” .Ma said BC has experienced some of the most devastating wildfires in its history in recent days. She expressed gratitude to people who cancelled their plans to travel to the interior in recent days and its partners in the tourism industry for their support and understanding. .BC Premier David Eby told tourists on Saturday not to travel to the province as wildfires burn out of control..READ MORE: Eby to tourists: Stay away.“At this time, we’re grateful that people are mostly following our call to not travel to certain areas and to stay out of the way of emergency crews so they can do their jobs,” said Eby. .“We are also seeing more and more people evacuated — and access to accommodation is becoming increasingly tight in the interior.”.Ma said the emergency order put in place on Saturday “has had the effect we required and thousands of hotel rooms were made available for people forced from their homes, as well as the many firefighters and emergency crews who are protecting us during the worst wildfire season in our history.”.Working with local governments and First Nations, she said the BC government will continue to place people in accommodations which are now available. .If people are planning on travelling in BC, she said they should do so safely and avoid fire-affected communities. She added they should know before they go. .Many communities continue to be impacted by wildfires and continue to face challenges. People should listen to the direction of local authorities..The BC government is asking anyone travelling to monitor information from the BC Wildfire Service, EmergencyInfoBC, and DriveBC. Highway 1 between Chase, BC, and Sorrento, BC, remains closed. .Ma thanked everyone “for their empathy and willingness to change their plans to support their fellow British Columbians who are impacted by these devastating wildfires.” The situation remains dynamic. .“We will continue to assess the situation, work with local governments and First Nations, and adapt our response as needed to,” she said.
