Residents closest to some of B.C.'s roughly 350 active wildfires are being warned about the risks of wildfire smoke.Dr. Sue Pollock, the chief medical health officer for Interior Health, says people, especially those with breathing issues, the elderly and children, should be ready to get medical help if they feel short of breath, dizzy or have chest pain.Smoke from the 30-square kilometre Eagle Bluffs fire near Osoyoos was intense as the flames spread north from Washington state on Saturday and burned within metres of some Osoyoos homes on Sunday.Winds pushed the fire away from the south Okana

The B.C. government says it wants to hear from British Columbians about taxi and ride-hailing services in the province.The province says it's holding a public meeting in the fall as a special committee is set to review so-called passenger-directed vehicles that come under the Passenger Transportation Act.The provincial government says the review will examine licensing of the vehicles, safety and accessibility issues, public transit impacts, and services available in smaller and remote communities.Committee chair Mable Elmore says they want to hear from British Columbians who use taxi and ride-

A shooting in Richmond, B.C. has left one man dead, and police are investigating whether a nearby car fire is related to the case.Richmond RCMP were called to Milner Road at Blundell Road at 5:45 p.m. Thursday for reports of a shooting.Officers found a critically injured man who was later pronounced dead at the scene.About 10 minutes later, authorities discovered a vehicle fully engulfed in flames several blocks away on Blundell Road.Police are working to determine if the vehicle is associated with the shooting.The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has taken control of the case, and is as

Recent rain and cooler weather have sharply cut the wildfire risk across B.C., but Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Bowinn Ma says the showers won't make any difference to the severe drought gripping the province. Ma made the comment while delivering an update today on wildfires in B.C. which have already charred more area than during any other fire season on record.The number of active wildfires has fallen to about 400 down roughly 100 since earlier this month, while the B.C. Wildfire Service says just eight new fires were recorded over the last 24 hours.But there is concer

The meeting of the Surrey Police Board was held for the first time yesterday after the instructions given by the state government regarding the transfer of the Surrey Police.This meeting was very stressful.The meeting was chaired by Brenda Locke, Mayor of Surrey and Chair of the Surrey Police Board.Mayor Locke meanwhile asked all the members present to treat each other with respect.It is worth noting that some board members mentioned that the Mayor and Council should have stood firm in keeping the RCMP.The Mayor while reading a pre-prepared statement, pleaded that while she would encourage pro

British Columbia's wildfire season is the most destructive on record, with more than 15,000 square kilometres of the province burned, surpassing the previous high of 13,543 square kilometres set in 2018.Here are some statistics about the current season from the BC Wildfire Service website, as of 12 p.m. Pacific time, July 26.Burnt area:15,055 square kilometresFires currently burning: 439, including 23 fires of noteNew fires in the past 24 hours:9Out-of-control fires:246Total number of fires this season:1,486Causes of all fires:Lightning, 69 per cent; humans (deliberate and accidental), 25 per

Police say they have credible information that two children who are the subject of an Amber Alert have been taken 'off the grid' in an alleged preplanned abduction by their mother.Surrey RCMP say they believe Verity Bolton, along with her father Robert and boyfriend Abraxus Glazov, are living in trailers in a rural area after the woman failed to return the children to their father earlier this month.Police say they've received 180 tips on the case, but the whereabouts of 8-year-old Aurora and 10-year-old Joshuah Bolton remain unknown, with the last confirmed sighting at a Merritt, B.C. gas sta

Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth has announced new programs and policing standards to support sexual assault survivors.A statement from the ministry says stable funding for programs, plus new policing standards for responding to sexual assaults, will support survivors while ensuring more effective investigations.Farnworth says the annual funding is immediately available for 68 new sexual assault programs across the province.The new police standards due to start next year will include police and victim-services working together to consider a person's unique needs when

WorkSafe B.C. says heat warnings issued by Environment Canada should be a wake-up call to employers to protect employees working indoors and outside. WorkSafe say employers need to take steps to protect employees, especially farm workers, construction workers and those in restaurant kitchens. It says the number of claims related to heat stress has been increasing in recent years. Environment Canada says temperatures in the B.C. interior today and tomorrow will reach the mid 30s and is warning people of the dangers of heat-related illnesses.