Courtesy of the BC Wildfire Centre/Cariboo Fire Centre:
Strong winds are forecasted to sweep across the Cariboo
Fire Centre today and tomorrow and the BC Wildfire Service is urging members of
the public and industry personnel to exercise extreme caution when conducting
any outdoor burning and consider post-phoning burning until a calmer day.
The Cariboo Fire Centre will see moderate to strong
surface winds across the Cariboo Fire Centre this afternoon. Winds will be 20
kilometres per hour with gusts up to 40 to 50 kilometres per hour. The winds
are expected to remain moderate to strong through the night and tomorrow,
except for in the western Chilcotin, which will see a small decrease in winds
overnight.
There are currently no open burning prohibitions in
effect within the Cariboo Fire Centre, however, BCWS staff are monitoring the
situation very closely. We strongly urge members of the public to wait until
for these windy conditions to pass prior to burning. With windy conditions a
grass fire can spread very quickly. It is the responsibility of the individual
to ensure that burning is done in a safe manner and in accordance with
regulations. Before lighting any fire, it is advised people monitor the
upcoming weather forecast and check with your local governments to see if any
local burning restrictions are in place.
Anyone conducting an outdoor burn must adhere to the
following precautions:
*Ensure that adequate resources are on hand to control
the fire and stop it from spreading;
*Never burn in windy conditions. Weather conditions
can change quickly, and the wind may carry embers to other combustible material
and start new fires;
*Create an appropriately sized fireguard around the
planned fire site by clearing away twigs, grass, leaves and other combustible
material, right down to the mineral soil;
*Never leave a fire unattended;
*Make sure that any fire is completely extinguished,
and the ashes are cold to the touch before leaving the area for any length of
time
Burn registration holders are encouraged to check on
piles that were burned throughout the winter to ensure they are fully
extinguished. There is always potential for winter burn piles to “holdover”
until spring. What this means is that burn piles can and do burn deep and
smoulder until the spring when warm weather and snow free conditions allow
these smouldering fire to become active and turn into a wildfire.
A poster
explaining the different categories of open burning and applicable regulations
is available online: http://www.gov.bc.ca/openfireregs
Anyone
wishing to light a Category 3 open fire must obtain a burn registration number
ahead of time by calling 1-888-797-1717. A burn registration number is not
required to light a Category 2 open fire.
For more
information regarding the Ventilation Index and Open Burning and Smoke Control
Regulations, please visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/air/air-pollution/smoke-burning/ventilation-index
Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert
critical resources away from lightning-caused fires.
Always practice safe, responsible fire use where permitted.
*To report a wildfire, unattended campfire
or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell
phone.
*Check with your local government or other
jurisdictional authorities before lighting a fire of any size since they may
have their own restrictions in place.
*Anyone found in contravention of an
open-burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, may be
required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in
court, may be fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the
contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may
be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
Learn More:
People can follow the latest wildfire news:
*on the free BC Wildfire Service public
mobile app, available for Apple (iOS) and Android devices
*on Twitter: twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
*on Facebook: facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo
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