How wildfire in B.C.'s Shuswap region is fanning political flames

The wildfire that has been rampaging through theShuswap region of B.C.'s southern Interior has also sparked a fight overwhether local Opposition MLAs have been encouraging residents todisobey firefighters, or if the government is refusing to listen tocritics of its response to the fires.

The Bush Creek East fire has destroyed or significantly damagednearly 170 properties, and authorities have called it a major frontin the province's worst fire season on record. A B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS)official said the blaze swept through the Shuswap like a tornado.

But it has also been in focus because of some residents' decisionto defy evacuation orders and defend their homesfrom the flames.

B.C.'s New Democratic Party government accused the Opposition B.C. United ofsupporting residents who refused to obey evacuation orders in the Shuswap, while the Opposition denied the accusation andsaid it was calling on the government to work with the community,which it eventually did.

"People elect MLAs in various areas of the province to be theirvoices, especially in a time of crisis and worry,'' said PeterMilobar, the B.C. United finance critic who represents a riding in Kamloops, around 50 kilometres southwest of the Bush Creek East fire's perimeter.

He said the government refused to listen to MLAswho were "simply conveying back to the government where theirshortcomings in a disaster are, and where the problems are, that's aproblem."

WATCH explainsthe tension in the Shuswap:

Why are Shuswap residents angry over B.C.s wildfire strategy?

1 year ago

Duration 1:29

In the Shuswap region, numerous homes have been lost to the aggressive Bush Creek East wildfire burning northeast of Kamloops. Residents in the area have voiced frustration over how the wildfire has been handled. CBCs Justin McElroy breaks down the latest on the tension that has emerged between a government and its people.

Milobar was one of three B.C. United MLAsin the region, including GregKyllo and Todd Stone, who issued a statement last week calling for "critical supplies"to be sent to North Shuswap residents whostayed to fight the fire, despite an evacuation order.

"These individuals should receive the supplies they need tocontinue to protect properties and structures in their communities.This government must order an end to this blockade of vitalresources immediately,"it said.

Milobar said he and his colleagues "weren't politicizing"andinstead were "conveying exactly what we were hearing on theground."

"Really, at its core, what we were asking for was either moreprovincial resources in that area, which were obviously needed, or away to bring the locals that have the right skill set into thefray,'' said Milobar. "And that's actually what they wound updoing."

Milobar said the statement was not encouraging residents to "civil disobedience,"or "to be law-breakers."

"If you don't have a skill set to actually physically fight thefire, you should not be in the area. You need to leave,"he said.

'Should be ashamed ofthemselves': NDP MLA

In recent days, North Shuswap residents with firefighting skillshave indeed been recruited to work with government firefighters inthe area, B.C. Wildfire Service officials said.

But NDP MLA Ravi Parmar said the B.C. United statement hadencouraged residents to "disobey orders from emergencyresponders,"and had put "the lives of first responders andfamilies on the line."

"To have MLAs encouraging people to disobey those orders isridiculous and those MLAs, like Greg Kyllo, should be ashamed ofthemselves,'' said Parmar, recently elected in a byelection in theVictoria-area Langford-Juan de Fuca riding.

"It's been a bizarre week for the B.C. United Party,'' he said,pointing to a social media post by the party's Kelowna-area MLARenee Merrifield blasting Conservative Leader John Rustad forsupporting people who battle wildfires threatening their homes.

Yet Kyllo, Stone and Milobar's statement had supported residentsdoing the same, Parmar said.

Parmar also said a B.C. United fundraising effort for wildfireevacuees through the Canadian Red Cross appeared be an effort by theparty to collect potential voter information.

But Dean Pogas, director of communications for the B.C. and YukonRed Cross, said in a statement that "no personal donationinformation has been provided, or will be provided, to the B.C. Unitedparty'' andonly dates and dollar amounts were collected.

No progress on mitigation: Milobar

Milobar said the government has been talking about wildfiremitigation improvements since 2017, but little has beenaccomplished.

He said the residents of West Kelowna and North Shuswap who losthomes this summer have joined the likes of Lytton, Monte Lake and WhiteRock Lake, which sustained wildfire property losses in recent years.

The Central Okanagan Regional District says 189 properties in theKelowna region have been destroyed or significantly damaged by thisseason's wildfires.

"The reality is they haven't actually changed or modernized whatthey are doing in any significant way, to adapt to what we're seeingplaying out in our communities every year,"Milobar said.

Parmar acknowledged the summer has presented challenges for theprovince, and he expected the government to undertake a review.

"There's certainly going to be time post this wildfire seasonfor British Columbia, for our ministers and the premier to look atwhat's happened and how we can be better prepared,"he said.

"It'sclear with climate change we need to be better prepared. That weneed to be doing more work in regards to the impacts, likewildfires, atmospheric rivers and other natural disasters."