B.C. opens wildfire disaster financial assistance applications for 15 communities

The B.C. government has opened applications for local governments and First Nations affected by wildfires to receive disaster financial assistance.

The funding for community authorities covers wildfire losses such as damage to public infrastructure, including roads, bridges and other publicly owned infrastructure.

B.C.’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness identified a list of Indigenous communities, electoral areas and municipalities where public damage from wildfires was reported:

• Cariboo Regional District
• Columbia Shuswap Regional District
• Fraser Valley Regional District
• Northern Rockies Regional Municipality
• Peace River Regional District
• Regional District Bulkley-Nechako
• Regional District Central Okanagan
• Regional District East Kootenay
• Regional District Kitimat-Stikine
• Regional District North Okanagan
• Regional District of Fraser-Fort George
• Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen
• Squamish-Lillooet Regional District
• Stikine (unincorporated)
• Thompson-Nicola Regional District

B.C. has applied to the federal government for Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements, which provides cost-sharing support for wildfire expenses, such as repairs to roads and public buildings, and cleanup.

The province urged First Nations communities and local governments with infrastructure damage from the wildfires to apply for the disaster financial assistance as soon as possible. Application deadline is 90 days after the end date of the event, but with wildfires ongoing, that has not yet been determined.

DFA website for application forms and deadlines: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management/local-emergency-programs/financial/communities-dfa