Greetings,
Last Friday, the Province of BC announced a provincial state of emergency regarding the current wildfire situation. This is an unprecedented situation for our province, and one that is affecting many First Nations communities in the Interior Region.
During this stressful time, we at the First Nations Health Authority are committed to sharing information and support with communities. Evacuations are underway in many areas, and with the hot, dry weather expected to continue, more families and communities may need to leave their homes for safety. This is a challenging and frightening situation for many—and our thoughts are with all of those affected.
A number of patient evacuations have taken place where care facilities fall within evacuation zones. For those with loved ones in the hospital or long-term care, a central number has been established through Interior Health Patient and Quality Care Office (1-877-442-2001) to connect evacuees and families.
The links below and our wildfire information page will support you to stay up to date on the wildfire situation, current evacuation zones, road closures, emergency phone lines and other crucial emergency services. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as needed.
We want to raise our hands in gratitude to the many firefighters, response teams, frontline care providers and volunteers providing emergency services to keep our communities safe. Despite many of our FNHA Interior Region team members and their families being on evacuation alert, they continue to work around the clock to provide supports and the latest information to First Nations in the region. We thank all involved for their continued efforts.
In support,
Joe Gallagher
CEO, FNHA
