A message from the BC Southwest Fire Centre Information Officer: Effective at noon (Pacific time) on Friday, Aug. 4, 2017, the operation of any off-road vehicle for recreational purposes on Crown land will be prohibited throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre, Kamloops Fire Centre and Southeast Fire Centre. In addition, all...

In response to the extreme fire situation in British Columbia, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is suspending public recreational access to all its lands in the province. This is a precautionary measure in order to minimize the chance of human-caused wildfires in any more of the province, and to contribute to public...

This weekend, Graeme Lee Rowlands reached the end of an impressive six-week journey across the Columbia Basin. Calling himself “the anadromous cyclist”(in reference to the Columbia River’s spawning fish), the 22-year-old university student has spent the past month cycling up the river – from its mouth...

The Southeast Fire Centre said in a media release Monday that current weather conditions in the region are having an impact on wildfires with wind activity causing the size of several fires to grow on Sunday, July 30, 2017. Island Pond wildfire The 150-hectare Island Pond fire that started on July 30 is about 17 kilometres ...

Former provincial Green Party candidate (for Richmond) and current minister of the Castlegar United Church Greg Powell is urging both city council and MLA Katrine Conroy to lobby to have Castlegar be the site of a pilot project designed to eliminate poverty by providing a basic income to all residents. He said the concept was...

Being forced from one’s home by a natural disaster is a rare occurrence that most of us will never face. However, tens of thousands of British Columbians are going through this upheaval right now as hundreds of wildfires burn throughout the province. Mental health experts warn that the emotional toll of disaster can be as...

After seven years of searching and chasing leads, the family of Owen Kiernan Rooney has finally gotten some closure. The remains of the 24-year-old Australian man were found by the Grand Forks Search and Rescue Unit while they were doing a training exercise on Hardy Mountain. The remains were found at the foot of the mountain,...

A vehicular fire up the Bombi, which frightened many residents, was quickly extinguished by the Volunteer Ootischenia Fire Department. OFD Chief George Hamm said the car was fully involved upon arrival of fire crews, with, `fire rolling down the hill because of the oil leak,`and a section of forest about 10 feet by 8 feet...

After Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Emergency Management BC, announced a provincial state of emergency Friday, the Regional District of Central Kootenay has sent out its own release asking the public to be ready in case wildfires strike the region. In a release Saturday,...

Interior Health teams across IH West are working closely with emergency officials from several agencies to respond to the wildfire activity around the communities we serve. Together, we are carefully considering the best options for our patients and staff who are located where significant wildfire activity is ongoing.   Since...