The Cariboo Fire Centre will be paying close attention to the weather this week.
Fire Information Officer Adam Nicholas explains.
“The temperatures are going to be rising. It’s predicted that some of them will be in the high 20’s to mid 30’s throughout the whole Cariboo Fire Centre this week, so we are constantly monitoring the conditions, like fire danger ratings, current and forecasted fire indices and long and shorter term weather forecasts.”
Nicholas says the fire danger rating in the Cariboo varies right now.
“The Cariboo Fire Centre is generally moderate danger rating with pockets of low and high. The low pockets are mostly in the north (Quesnel) and the high areas are mostly in the south. The pockets of high are primarily in the 100 Mile and the Chilcotin zone.”
Nicholas says there hasn’t been a lot of fire activity so far this year.
“We have had a slow start to the fire season this year with 53 fires and 263 hectares burnt. This is compared to the 10 year average of a hundred fires by this time of the year and 35,000 hectares burnt. So we are well below the average of both the number of fires and burnt area, but we’re still monitoring the conditions and staying updated because those things can always change.”
He says there are no fires burning in the Cariboo Fire Centre right now.
A category 2 and 3 fire ban has been in place since June 6th, but campfires are still permitted.