The summer of 2017 will forever be etched in the memories of many British Columbia residents – this year has officially been declared as the worst wildfire season on record. At the peak of the fires this past July, over 45,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes and over 894,491 hectares have been burned. To date, just under 7000 B.C. residents are still displaced while thousands more are living under constant evacuation alert and the total cost so far is about $383 million.

The province is still under a state of emergency but slowly and steadily, people are being allowed to go back in to their homes. The weather is expected to cool which may bring some relief but there is also risk of high winds and thunderstorms that could potentially spread the fires to other areas.

The good news is that the B.C. fire crews consisting of 3,900 personnel are working diligently to extinguish the blazes and evacuation centres in Kamloops and other parts of the province are providing emergency shelter for those still displaced.

Relief Efforts

While fire crews work to control the wildfires and eventually extinguish them, Canadians from across the country have once again stepped up to the plate to help those in need. A number of community organizations are doing their part to ensure that those who are displaced have sufficient clothing, food, and medications.

Funds have been donated by individuals and businesses. Even Larry Thomas, a.k.a. Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi” took up the call to help raise money for the cause.

But more help is still needed. In addition to meeting the needs of those still in emergency shelters, there will be the cost of rebuilding, temporary housing, as well as providing support to those who have lost their livelihood to the fires.

Moving forward

For those of us who have never been through a crisis like this, we can only imagine what it must be like looking out to the horizon to see a cloud of smoke in the atmosphere and knowing you may be forced from your home at any time.

At TeksMed, we are happy to do our part to provide relief to those affected by the B.C. fires by supporting the efforts of the Red Cross. We ask our friends, families and clients to consider how they might help as well.

Should you wish to donate to the British Columbia Fires Appeal, you may do so on the Red Cross website or you may donate $10 to the Canadian Red Cross by texting “FIRES” to 45678. Let’s stand together with our brothers and sisters during this time.