Fire danger rating rising in parts of BC
Posted July 27, 2012 8:56 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Just in time for the weekend, the fire danger rating in the province is now high in some northern areas and moderate-to-high in and around the South Coast.
There are about 100 fires burning in the province right now. Since April, there have been roughly 550 fires; and nearly 60 per cent of them were set by people, burning up nearly 10,000 hectares of land. Fire Information Officer Melissa Welsh says most fires are avoidable, if people are just more careful.
“You should have the ready resources on-hand, such as a shovel or enough water [to put a fire out] and also make sure that you have a fuel-free area around your fire,” she advises.
Campers are allowed to enjoy fires, since there is no campfire ban right now. But despite the relatively slow fire season we’ve had so far, by no means are we out of the woods yet.
“In the beginning of the season, a lot of our fires are person-caused,” explains Welsh. “However, now we’re moving into a period where most of them will be lightning-caused.”
There is an upside to all of this; since we haven’t had many fires, the province was able to send our crews to other jurisdictions, generating nearly $6 million in revenue.
To report a wildfire call toll-tree at 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on most cellular networks.
