BC premier talks boosting firefighting budget, response to COVID-19 vaccine passport | FULL

B.C. Premier John Horgan spoke Friday about boosting the province’s firefighting budget amid the ongoing wildfire season, as well as the response by residents to the new vaccine passport system. Horgan was in Logan Lake with Forestry Minister Katrine Conroy to thank firefighters and community members for their efforts to preserve the town, which escaped a near miss with the Tremont Creek wildfire earlier this month. He said Budget 2022 will have “at its centre a commitment“ to ensuring the province is better prepared for future fires. As of Thursday at 7 p.m. local time, 238 wildfires were burning. There are also 35 evacuation orders issued for 3,476 properties, with another 83 evacuation alerts for 7,699 properties. A total of 864,473 hectares have burned.