Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says a provincewide state of emergency has been declared to ensure B-C has access to any and all resources necessary to fight wildfires burning across the province. Farnworth says the declaration ensures federal, provincial and local resources can be delivered in a co-ordinated manner to fight the 559 fires burning in B-C. The B-C Wildfire Service says it recommended the declaration because with no rain in sight, the season has the potential to get worse before it gets better. It’s the second year in a row that the province had declared a state of emergency due to wildfires and Farnworth says he hopes the situation is not the new normal — but adds the impact of climate change on forests has to be taken into account.