Resource, Transportation companies look to lend hand to Wildfire Support to affected communities

One of a number of Wildfires burning across the Interior
areas of British Columbia
(photo from BC Wildfire Service)

As the list of communities on alert, or in the process of evacuation continues to grow with the spread of wildfires across the Interior regions of the province, some of the industrial companies that work in British Columbia are helping with relief efforts.

Earlier this month, CN Rail announced it's plan to provide up to 1.5 million in immediate relief efforts for the community of Lytton and the Lytton First Nation, beyond the financial assistance the railway also offered the use of a range of equipment and other necessities for residents sheltered in temporary accommodations.

The announcement from the railroad came around the same time as some community officials offered up a theory that the Lytton fire started as a result of a passing train; though to this point the Transportation Safety Board has not reached any conclusions as to the cause of the fire which destroyed much of the town and damaged many surrounding communities.

The Transportation Safety Board opened an investigation on June 30, 2021.

Yesterday, the Head of the Transportation Safety Board described the record high temperatures as a 'wake up' call to consider precautions for railways during extreme weather

Another industrial group in the province with a tie to the Prince Rupert area,  Drax owned Pinnacle Energy has also provided some financial assistance, announcing yesterday of their plans to direct 50,000 dollars in relief funds to the Canadian Red Cross towards Wildfire victims, an amount to be matched by Provincial and Federal officials.

You can learn more about the Red Cross and the Triple donation program underway here.

As we noted yesterday, the growing number of wildfires has also had an impact on the transportation links in the province, with the Port of Vancouver finding slowing shipments as railway connections are suspended or delays are found owing to the fires.

To access the latest information on the Wildfire situation see our archive page here which features a number of links to items of interest.