Heading west to our neighbouring province of British Columbia is a very popular summer destination for Cochranites.

However, the wildfire situation in BC remains dire and with the hot dry conditions persisting will remain that way for quite some time.

According to the BC government website, there are 259 wildfires burning in the province.

A state of emergency has been declared, but the province remains open to travellers.

A spokesperson with Destination BC, Maria Greene says, "Travelling through the province is possible but at any given time there are times where roads need to be closed for a period of time and re-routed. Right now, we are open to all of our visitors from Alberta."

Destination British Columbia has implemented a new campaign with the motto, "Know Before You Go".

It is providing resources and tools to make sure visitors and residents have the information they need when travelling.

"We want to ensure that travellers and residents alike in the province as they move around, have that information at their fingertips and they are completely informed," says Greene.

Some of the resources available include regular updates on the wildfires, routes to take, as well as emergency management information.

Planning ahead is vitally important, you should also take into account which roads are open and prepare for sudden closures.

To access the Destination BC website click HERE.