Forestry officials in British Columbia have issued open fire bans for most parts of the province in an effort to prevent the start and spread of wildfires, as hot, dry conditions persist through much of the region.
The province has temporarily banned open fires of any size, including campfires, as well as fireworks, tiki torches, sky lanterns, burning barrels, burning cages, air curtain burners and binary exploding targets.
The ban does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes.
Jay Sharpe, chief of the Sasamat Fire Department, said conditions were the driest they’ve been in years. He said even a single structure catching fire had the potential to cause serious damage.
“If it gets away and gets into the trees, it could be significant,” Sharpe said.
Southern B.C. is in the middle of an extended heatwave that’s expected to continue into next week, leaving the region’s plant life dry and vulnerable to flame. Temperatures are expected to peak at 30 C on Sunday, with little to no rain in the forecast until next Friday.
Carol Mason , Metro Vancouver’s chief administrative officer, said the city was taking action in light of the extended dry spell.
“What we're seeing is an impact to our water reservoirs,” Mason said. “We're at about 79 per cent, which typically at that level would be later in the season, at the end of July and into August.”
Mason said the city would be ramping up water restrictions, moving to stage two in its plans. At this level – which hasn’t been reached since 2003 – home lawns can only be watered once per week, among other restrictions.
The B.C. Wildfire Service is already fighting more than 150 fires in the province, and officials want to keep that number from growing due to man-made blazes.
Several municipalities around Vancouver have already banned campfires, barbecues and smoking in public parks, out of fear that a stray spark might ignite dry brush. West Vancouver bylaw officers are handing out $500 fines to anyone caught violating the bans.
Campfires, barbecues and discarded cigarette butts have caused wildfires in the past, and B.C. officials fear it could happen again during this period of vulnerability.
Fire concerns put a damper on Canada Day celebrations earlier in the week. Bylaw officers were enforcing the barbecue ban on July 1, and the city of Port Coquitlam decided to cancel a fireworks show rather than risk starting a fire.
With files from CTV Vancouver
