The Victoria Day long weekend is upon us and that means British Columbians will be out hiking, biking, swimming, and exploring our beautiful province.
For those lucky enough to get a spot, they’ve waited many months to go camping. And any camping trip wouldn’t be the same without a campfire.
Following what has been an entire year straight with low precipitation, and coming just a few days after the hottest day ever in May in Chilliwack and elsewhere in the Lower Mainland, one would be forgiven for assuming that fires would be banned this weekend.
Not so.
The Ministry of Forests and the BC Wildfire Service announced on Tuesday that prohibitions on Category 2 and Category 3 fires came into effect as of noon on Thursday in the Coastal Fire Centre, where we are.
But: “This prohibition does not apply to Category 1 – Campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, or to cooking stoves that use gas, propane, or briquettes.”
READ MORE: Burning ban for B.C. coast coming ahead of the long weekend
READ MORE: Smoky skies cause poor air quality in parts of B.C., Environment Canada says
READ MORE: Wildfire service says ‘exceptional’ hot weather has put B.C. regions at risk
According to Roger Pannett who is the official weather observer for Chilliwack for Environment Canada, from July 2022 to April 2023, the precipitation total in Chilliwack was 937.1 millimetres (mm). The historical average for those 10 months is 1,577.7 mm.
That means we have received 41 per cent less precipitation than is normal.
The extreme fire hazard experienced in B.C.’s northeast will “slowly but surely” spread to the rest of the province, including the Coastal Fire Centre, Cliff Chapman director of operations for BC Wildfire Service said Tuesday.
Given these dry conditions and record-breaking temperatures, allowing campfires seems like a risk the province shouldn’t be taking.
Here’s hoping the enjoyment of a campfire for the few doesn’t mean we sacrifice our forests and our air for all.
– Black Press Media
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