The end is near for British Columbia’s fire season, but the provincial emergency management minister says the “sleeping giant” in the season of natural disasters is drought. Bowinn Ma’s comments came Wednesday as she announced disaster financial assistance is available for local governments and First Nations in 15 regional districts that have been burned by the province’s largest fire season on record. Ma said that mid-September traditionally marks the end of the peak wildfire season and the province is “in the home stretch” but must remain prepared. Adding to the record season where an estimated 2.2 million hectares of land has been burned, the minister said drought conditions this year are unlike any other the province has ever seen. “(It), in my opinion, truly is a sleeping giant of a natural…
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