Far from being in the clear': BC extends state of emergency as wildfires, drought drag on | FULL

8,029 views Streamed live 17 hours ago The B.C. government is extending its state of emergency by another two weeks, with more than 420 wildfires still burning and little relief in sight for extreme drought conditions.

Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Bowinn Ma said the province is preparing for the possibility this drought season could last beyond the calendar year and stretch into 2024.

"It's a very serious situation that British Columbia has not faced before and it is absolutely necessary that people change their mindset about water here in British Columbia as a result of the impacts that we're seeing due to climate change."

Recent rainfall in parts of B.C. is a sign the province is "slowly moving beyond the worse part of this wildfire season," but that doesn't mean British Columbians can let their guards down, Ma said.