"Taking this step will further ensure we can protect the public, property and infrastructure, and assist with firefighting efforts".
Those numbers could grow as officials expect the fires will spread.
The state of emergency will be in effect for an initial 14 days.
It applies to the entire province and ensures federal, provincial and local resources can be delivered in a coordinated response to protect the public.
The declaration comes as smoke from hundreds of wildfires continues to blanket the provinceand evacuation orders expand across the north and central regions.
The provincial government requested federal government assistance to deal with wildfires on Monday, and personnel and resources are now on their way.
The fires are also not as large or as close to communities as a year ago, he said.
This is the second year in a row the province has declared a state of emergency, which lasted for 10 weeks from July 10 to September 15 during the 2017 wildfire season.
During the 2017 wildfire season, the province was in a provincial state of emergency for 10 weeks, from July 7 to September 15. The forecast across B.C. calls for continued hot and dry conditions with risks of thunderstorms.
In northwestern B.C., a 333-square kilometre fire has destroyed more than 40 homes and properties in and around Telegraph Creek, said Forests Minister Doug Donaldson.
There are now 566 wildfires burning across B.C., prompting 29 evacuation orders that have forced about 3,050 people to flee from their homes.
Over 3,000 people are under evacuation orders and another 18,700 are under evacuation alerts.
Right now, there are more than 3,372 firefighters and contractors on the frontlines. Some 436 are from other provinces and parts of the world, including Alberta, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Parks Canada, Australia, Mexico and New Zealand.
Crews battling the Nanaimo Lakes wildfire. Skrepnek said a lot of them would likely be sent to the Okanagan to help with wildfire mop-up.
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