Three areas of BC rated extreme for fire hazard
Posted August 18, 2012 1:09 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It’s no surprise that with this heat, the fire hazard rating in certain area of the province is increasing.
Parts of Vancouver Island, the north and central BC are rated as extreme for forest fire risk.
Jill Chimko with the Provincial Wildfire Coordination Centre says there are 30 fires in the north alone.
“They range in size from spot fires a couple of hectares in size, to over 7,000 hectares,” explains Chimko. “A large portion of them are modified response fires, which means they are being actively monitored but not actively suppressed.”
Extra crews are coming in from Saskatchewan, Ontario and the Yukon, and are being dispersed to Abbotsford, Kamloops and Williams Lake as a precaution.
Erin Catherall, also with the province’s fire coordination centre, says the situation is about to change. “With the anticipated lightning activity expected Saturday and Sunday, crews are preparing for an increase in fire starts.”
Campfire bans are, for now, only in effect in the Kamloops forest district.
