Wildfires

• Get prepared for a wildfire (gov.bc.ca) - Get prepared, stay safe, and recover (translated content available)

• Getting Ready for a Power Outage Toolkit - This toolkit prepares you and your family to stay safe - especially in rural or remote areas
• During a Power Outage Toolkit - This toolkit helps you stay cool, breath easier, and keep food and medicine safe - especially in rural or remote areas

• For information on evacuation alerts and orders in B.C., or to find a reception centre, visit EmergencyInfoBC or call the provincial Emergency Services Support line at 1-800-585-9559
  • Self-register for Emergency Support Services (ESS)
• Accessing care if you're evacuated due to a wildfire - Resources and contacts for accessing health services during an evacuation
• Community Evacuation Information for Seniors (HealthLink BC) - Preparing for and responding to hazards requires special consideration of seniors’ needs. Seniors who live alone or are sick or disabled will need special support and an emergency plan

• Returning to Your Home After Wildfires - Re-enter your home safely, insurance, drinking water, detailed guide on restoring your home, air quality

• Disaster recovery information for the public (gov.bc.ca) - Food and water safety, cleaning and repairs, claiming insurance, psychological care

• BC Guidance for Owners of Property Impacted by Wildfire Contaminants (gov.bc.ca) - Guidance on potential risks to human health and management of contamination issues at a property impacted by wildfire

Information on the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) can be found under current conditions.

• Sue Pollock on How to Protect Yourself from Wildfire Smoke - 5 tips to reduce your exposure to wildfire smoke (video content included)
• Wildfire Smoke (BCCDC) - Fact sheets on the health effects of wildfire smoke, face masks for wildfire smoke, portable air cleaners and home-made air box fan filters (translated content available), tools that can help you understand the current air quality
• Wildfire Smoke and Air Quality (BCCDC) - Find AQ information for your area, fine particulate matter (PM₅) maps, tools to help you read the AQHI, links to smoke forecasts
• Face Masks for Wildfire Smoke (BCCDC) - How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke by using face masks
• Guidance for Cleaner Air Spaces during Wildfire Smoke Events (Health Canada) - Criteria for a cleaner air space, pollutants of concern, monitoring considerations and sheltering at home

View our Drinking Water page for information on sample results, advisories and private water systems.

• If your water comes from a community water system, you can view any water system notifications on the Drinking Water For Everyone website
• If you are on your own water source (well, surface water) then you can view HealthLink BC's webpage - Wildfire: Its effects on drinking water quality
  • Visit our Drinking Water page to learn more about what you can do for your own water source
• Learn about fire retardants in drinking water

• Food safety after a fire - Basic food safety information for homeowners, outlining what foods to discard and what foods may be kept
• Get information for food facility operators
• If your refrigerator or freezer is damaged and is not working (cannot maintain less than 4 degrees and is not cleanable), contact the insurance company about coverage as an eligible expense, and your band or local government about its safe disposal.  
• If your refrigerator or freezer was NOT damaged and continues to work, take additional steps to clean your refrigerator and freezer.

Your on-site sewage disposal system may become unsafe to use if it is impacted directly by wildfire, damaged by heavy equipment or machinery, or had power outages.

If you find your sewage system was at risk of being impacted by a wildfire or is not operating as intended (household plumbing is slow to drain, smells or pooling on the field area, etc.) then you should contact an authorized person to assess your system to ensure it is safe for use.

Visit Sewerage, Subdivisions & Healthier Industries for information on how to find an authorized person who can inspect and/or repair an onsite sewerage system, or to locate your on-site sewage record.

• Mental health & wellness during wildfire season - Resources for dealing with stress and trauma

• Wildfire Smoke Recommendations for Schools (BCCDC) – Resources for what schools should do before and during wildfire smoke events.
• School Staff – Additional resources to promote health and wellness

Any water systems in the Interior Health Region that experience disruption to regular operations, such as loss of treatment, loss of pressure, loss of power, loss of source or loss of system integrity should implement their emergency response procedures immediately. This includes issuing public notifications such as boil water notices, water quality advisories or do not use orders, as appropriate. 

• Prior to resuming normal operations, water suppliers should undertake remedial actions such as flushing, disinfection and resampling as required. Contact your environmental health officer (EHO) for support
• Information for water suppliers impacted by emergency events - Procedures for returning to normal operations after an emergency event, including additional resources for homeowners and operators of facilities (Appendix A)

Follow your emergency response plan.

• Resources for fire retardants in drinking water
  • Water Quality: Fire Retardants Used to Fight Wildfires (gov.bc.ca)
  • Fact Sheet (BCCDC) - Specific information on Phos-Chek and Thermo-gel

The following documents provide information that may assist food service operators address, remediate and manage operations to ensure public health safety, during and after wildfire events.

Follow your emergency response plan.

Food safety

• Food Safety and Reopening Your Business after a Wildfire - Steps to take and procedures to follow to ensure that your building, equipment, supplies, and food are safe and meet requirements to resume operations after a wildfire
• Power Outages at Food Facilities - Food safety considerations for operators after a power outage (e.g., following a wildfire event and power shutdown/evacuation)

Water quality

• If you are on a community water system, view any current water system notifications here
• Drinking Water Public Notifications What Food Premises Operators Need to Know - General information on drinking water notifications and food preparation and service. Floods and landslides will often result in public water advisories
• If you are not served by a community water system, contact your environmental health officer (EHO) for information on water sampling, well disinfection and to make sure your water is safe for use

Waste disposal

If your business has an on-site sewage disposal system, it may become unsafe to use if it is impacted directly by wildfire, damaged by heavy equipment or machinery, or had power outages.

If you find your sewage system was at risk of being impacted by a wildfire or is not operating as intended (plumbing is slow to drain, smells or pooling on the field area, etc.) then you should contact an authorized person to assess your system to ensure it is safe for use.

• Sewerage, Subdivisions & Healthier Industries provides information on how to find an authorized person who can inspect and/or repair an onsite sewerage system, or to locate your on-site sewage record

The following documents provide information to assist community care homes and child care operators to address, remediate, and manage operations to ensure safety of persons in care and employees, during and after wildfire events:

Follow your emergency response plan.

Find information on drinking water, food safety and waste disposal.

• Contact Licensing Direct if you have questions for your licensing officer via telephone at 1-877-980-5118 or via email at LicensingDirect@interiorhealth.ca

Care for clients

• Wildfire Smoke: Guidance on health risks, facility preparation and mitigation strategies during wildfire smoke events.
• Caring for Seniors in Long-Term Care in an Emergency (HealthLink BC) - Preparing for and responding to hazards requires consideration of the needs of seniors, especially those in long-term care facilities

• Wildfire Smoke and Outdoor Event Planning: Steps to take and procedures to follow when there is wildfire smoke
• Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke Events, Outdoor Public Gatherings and Protecting Health: Steps for preparation and action