Press Release - Response to Current Wildfire Situation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 17, 2021

Response to Current Wildfire Situation

Agassiz, British Columbia – The District of Kent continues to assist the Province of British Columbia with wildfire response in the Interior region.

On August 14^th, the Agassiz Fire Department deployed a fire engine to assist the Office of the Fire Commissioner and BC Wildfire Service in response to fires in the Logan Lake area. This is the second deployment for the fire department this year.

The fire department remains ready with personnel and equipment to continue to respond to incidents within the District.

Locally, the District’s Emergency Program Coordinator is working to support the regional response from communities within the Fraser Valley, including Seabird Island and the City of Chilliwack.

The Kent-Harrison Emergency Support Services (ESS) volunteers are ready to assist neighbouring teams who are directly supporting evacuees. Significant local events such as the freshet and the extreme heat have kept the ESS volunteers and emergency program staff busy this summer.

When recommended by Fraser Health, the District has provided opportunities for the public to find respite from the heat and/or smoke, through community Clean Air Shelters or Cooling Centres. 

In a statement from Mayor Pranger: the District of Kent remains committed to assisting with the province-wide response to the 2021 wildfire season while ensuring sufficient resources remain in the area to handle local incidents. For those residents who are wondering how they can assist, the Chilliwack reception centre at Chilliwack Secondary School is currently looking for volunteer support roles including welcoming evacuees, providing general support to Emergency Social Services volunteers, and filling out paper forms for the registration process.

If interested, please contact Chris Wilson, Emergency Program Coordinator, by email only at wilson@chilliwack.com with your contact information and your general availability between 8 am to 8 pm daily. Training and meals will be provided on site.

For more information about the District’s emergency program and how to prepare for emergencies, visit https://www.kentbc.ca/en/living-here/Emergency_Management.aspx.

- 30 -

Mayor Sylvia Pranger

District of Kent

604-796-2235