Open burning will be prohibited across much of northern British Columbia starting next week after officials cautioned that dry conditions could lead to early wildfire activity this spring.
The ban in the Prince George Fire Centre is happening sooner than usual, a step the B.C. Wildfire Service says is intended to prevent human-caused wildfires and safeguard public safety from a “high grass fire hazard.”
A notice posted on the service’s website indicates that the ban will commence next Thursday and will be in effect until mid-October.
It forbids any fires larger than half a metre high by half a metre wide in an area extending from Mount Robson Provincial Park in the south and Fort St. James in the west up to Yukon boundary.
The wildfire service advises people to also refrain from lighting smaller campfires when it’s windy and ensures that flames or embers are never left unattended.
The ban encompasses the region that witnessed extensive burned areas last year, and provincial officials stated at a news conference earlier this week that numerous holdover fires have smouldered through the winter in northeastern B.C.
Once the snow melts and the land dries out, they assert that moderate winds will be sufficient for those fires to reignite.
Related
- Criticism is increasing regarding plans to clear one-third of Stanley Park’s trees
- Busy spring wildfire season may be on the way for B.C. as drought persists
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