Location: Various locations in the central interior and southeastern portions of British Columbia.
Event: Due to the numerous wildfires threatening communities in the province, and the Okanagan region in general, the British Columbia government issued a province-wide state of emergency, on August 18, 2023. Thousands of people are under evacuation orders, and tens of thousands more are on evacuation alert.
Actions to Take:
- Residents living in the central interior and southeastern portion of British Columbia are currently at highest risk and should follow any local government orders to evacuate as soon as possible. For a list of areas under evacuation orders please go here and here.
- Those required to evacuate, please follow the guidance provided by the British Columbia government, which can be found here.
- Avoid non-essential travel to affected areas within the central interior and southeastern portions of British Columbia. Please go to this link to see those areas affected by wildfires.
- Residents in British Columbia should continue to monitor the Emergency Info BC at its website and Twitter feed for the most recent information regarding evacuation notice, alerts, and orders for communities in the province.
The U.S. Consulate General Vancouver is located at 1075 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 2M6 and is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 pm on Monday to Friday. You can reach us at 1-604-685-4311 during business hours. If you are a U.S. citizen in need of urgent assistance outside of business hours, the emergency after-hours number for the U.S. Consulate General is 604-685-4311. Our e-mail address is VancouverACS@state.gov.
State Department – Consular Affairs 888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
For further information about security in Canada, see the Department of State travel website for Canada Country Specific Information.
STEP: Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
Follow us on: Social Media Sites, Facebook, and Twitter
