Premier John Horgan and Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Doug Donaldson will be visiting people in regions affected by the worst wildfire in British Columbia’s history.

“This summer’s unprecedented wildfire season has hurt communities and forced people from their homes,” Premier Horgan said. “British Columbians are working together to recover and rebuild. Your government is here to help.”

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Premier Horgan and Donaldson will be visiting Kamloops, Cache Creek, Ashcroft and Kelowna. The visit will include a ground tour of the fire damage in Ashcroft and an aerial tour of the Philpott wildfire.

During the visit, Premier Horgan and Donaldson will meet with British Columbians affected by the fires, as well as local officials, firefighters, emergency responders and First Nations leaders who have been providing aid and comfort.

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“People have been working around the clock to help those whose livelihoods and homes have been impacted by the fires,” Premier Horgan said. “It's important for us to hear first-hand about the devastation and the work being done to get people back on their feet.”

Among Premier Horgan's first actions in government were to extend the wildfire state of emergency, increase payments to evacuees and strike a cabinet task force on the fires. Since then, the government has pledged financial support for small businesses and allocated up to $200,000 to tourism operations affected by the fires.

(flickr.com)