$21M wildfire equipment depot to be built in Prince George, B.C.

The province says it is building a $21-million equipment depot in Prince George to support wildfire fighting across northern B.C.

The facility will operate alongside an existing depot in Chilliwack, said B.C. Wildfire Service information officer Forrest Tower during a visit to Prince George Thursday.

"It's where we keep all of our ... firefighting equipment that gets shipped around the province," Tower said.

"An increased-sized facility in Prince George gives us a lot more flexibility to move much more equipment around a lot faster."

Tower said the decision to build a larger facility in B.C.'s northern region was prompted by the concentration of wildfires that have burned in the area in recent years.

Currently, there are 91 active wildfires in the province, 79 of which are in the Prince George Fire Centre, which covers the northeast quadrant of the province.

"Obviously from the Lower Mainland is a long haul up to Fort Nelson," he said. "Having a more, expanded [centre] here in Prince George will allow a smoother operation."

Tower said there isn'ta timeline for when the depot will be built or where it will be located, noting it is still in the procurement phase.

Province touts partnership with Prince George, cities

Tower was in Prince George alongside Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma, who said she had visited the city's permanent reception centre for wildfire evacuees.

The centre was established earlier this year in response to the fact that Prince George has welcomed thousands of evacuees since 2017, when more than 4,000 people fleeing fires in the Caribooregion registered to stay in the city.

"I want to acknowledge the incredible partnership we have here in Prince George," Ma said.

"It is absolutely essential that communities like Prince George are supported because of how important they are ... to fighting fires [and] supporting evacuees."

Ma also reiterated some of the other investments the province is making in preparing for and fighting wildfires, many of which come from31recommendationsmade by a task force created by the premier to look into how the province can better support people during emergencies.

They include upgrading the fleet of planes and helicopters available to support firefighting efforts, and the establishment of a'first of its kind' wildfire training program being developed at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops.