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State of Emergency in BC

On August 1, 2003, the government of British Columbia declared a state of emergency in response to the numerous forest fires in the province. The state of emergency was lifted on September 14, 2003. A provincial declaration of a state of emergency is rarely made in British Columbia. The only previous declaration ever made was in response to the 1998 Silver Creek fire in Salmon Arm

State of Emergency Legislation
The British Columbia Emergency Program Act provides the legal framework for a declaration of a state of emergency. The Act includes an outline of planning measures, government powers and situations that would trigger such a declaration.

For more information, British Columbia Emergency Program Act

The Act defines an emergency as a present or imminent event that:

• Is caused by accident, fire, explosion or technical failure or by the forces of nature.
• Requires prompt co-ordination of action or special regulation of persons or property to protect people's health, safety or welfare, or to limit property damage.

After a declaration of a state of emergency is made, the government may do all acts and implement all procedures that it considers necessary to prevent, respond to or alleviate the emergency or disaster. Some important powers that the government may implement under a state of emergency include:

• Acquire or use any land or personal property considered necessary to prevent, respond to or alleviate the effects of an emergency or disaster.
• Authorize or require any person to render assistance of a type that the person is qualified to provide or that otherwise is or may be required to prevent, respond to or alleviate the effects of an emergency or disaster.
• Control or prohibit travel to or from any area of British Columbia.
• Cause the evacuation of persons and the removal of livestock, animals and personal property from any area of British Columbia that is or may be affected by an emergency or a disaster and make arrangements for the adequate care and protection of those persons, livestock, animals and personal property.
• Authorize the entry into any building or on any land, without warrant, by any person in the course of implementing an emergency plan or program or if otherwise considered by the minister to be necessary to prevent, respond to or alleviate the effects of an emergency or disaster.
• Procure, fix prices for or ration food, clothing, fuel, equipment, medical supplies or other essential supplies and the use of any property, services, resources or equipment within any part of British Columbia for the duration of the state of emergency.

Emergency Management Structure

When British Columbia calls a state of emergency, the government implements a particular emergency command structure. The Premier is at the top of this hierarchy, with the coordination of government programs and initiatives being done by the Central Coordination Group at the Provincial Emergency Coordination Centre in Victoria. This emergency management structure is as follows:

2003 Declaration of State of Emergency

August 1, 2003 – The government declares a provincial state of emergency in the Thompson-Nicola regional district to assist with fighting forest fires in McLure, Barriere and surrounding areas. The state of emergency gives the Fire Commissioner, the Ministry of Forests, the RCMP and the Provincial Emergency Program authority under the Emergency Program Act to take every action necessary to fight the fires and protect residents and their communities.

August 2, 2003 – The government extends provincial state of emergency province-wide as intensive firefighting efforts continue across British Columbia. The province-wide state of emergency enables the government to draw resources from across the province to fight fires. The province also calls in Canadian military resources to assist provincial fire crews.

August 29, 2003 – The government extends the province-wide state of emergency for another two weeks in response to the continuing extreme fire hazard in BC’s southeast, the southern interior and the coast.

September 14, 2003 – British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell lifts the province-wide state of emergency, citing control of the forest fires by BC Forest Services. The lifting of the state of emergency ends extra-ordinary powers temporarily held by the provincial government to fight the forest fires.

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BC Forest Fire Policy