No campfire bans in BC as summer begins
Posted June 20, 2017 10:44 am.
Last Updated June 20, 2017 10:58 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The fire season in BC is off to a slower-than-average start, but that could change as we head into hot summer months.
Fire Information Officer says Ryan Turcot says a little over 1,000 hectares of land have burned so far this year, well below the 10-year average.
However, a lot hinges on the weather over the next few weeks.
“The general rule is to look out for the amount of precipitation you receive in the late spring; we call those the June rains,” he says. “That really affects how much moisture the forests are going to take in moving into those core summer months.”
While no campfire bans in place yet, Turcot says that doesn’t mean people can let their guards down.
“One thing that people don’t always realize is the use of recreational ATVs, the exhaust systems can actually generate enough heat, especially over tall grass, that that could ignite a wildfire.”
Metro Vancouver’s reservoirs are all topped up thanks to the wet spring, but Utilities Committee chair Darrell Mussatto says some water restrictions are still in place.
“People have to form good habits,” he explains. “If we sort of let up because we’ve had a cool and moist spring, people start creating bad habits again, and we start using more water than we should.”
