There are more than 200 active wildfires burning within British Columbia, and campers are being asked to stay alert so that number doesn’t increase.
“Our wildfire crews still have significant work ahead of them to bring existing wildfires under control as they work to keep British Columbians safe,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “Let’s not add human-caused fires to their workload during this long and challenging fire season.”
According to the Province, the BC Wildfire Service has responded to 1,562 wildfires that have burned more than 865,000 hectares since April 1st of this year.
With the Labour Day long weekend coming up, anyone spending time outdoors is asked to use caution with any activity that could potentially cause wildfires.
As of August 27th, campfires have been allowed within the Cariboo Fire Centre. Wildfire Information Officer Madison Smith says a campfire is classified as a fire that is no more than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide.
“When you’re having your campfire, make sure to keep it within that size of half metre by half metre,” Smith explains, “It’s a good idea to have tools and/or some water on site to extinguish the fire when you’re done. It is important when you leave the site, never leave it burning and if you are leaving the site, make sure your campfire is fully extinguished, which means cool to the touch before you leave for any length of time or go to bed for the night. Those hot embers can reignite, especially in warmer and windy weather.”
Smith also says it’s not a good idea to have a campfire on a windy day, as those embers can be picked up by the wind.
In addition, Smith says to check with local authorities, as they may also have their own campfire bans in place.
Smith says the fire danger rating in the Cariboo is low to very low.
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