Fire Safety

Tuesday May 30, 2023

Message from Chief Carlson: The Fire Danger Rating has increased to HIGH today.

If the fire danger rating remains at high then early shift will start on Thursday. Early shift means that all high risk activities will have to stop before 1300 (1pm) and anyone involved will need to post a 2 hour fire watch at the end of high risk activities.

More detailed Information can be found at:

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/for-industry-commercial-operators/high-risk-activities

and https://denmanfire.ca/

Thursday May 18, 2023

Effective at noon Pacific Daylight Time on Thursday, May 18, 2023, most open burning activities will be prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction. This prohibition is being enacted to help reduce wildfire risk and protect public safety.

"Category 2 open fire" which means an open fire, other than a category 1 campfire, that

• burns material in one pile not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
• burns material concurrently in 2 piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width, or

• burns stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 ha.
   

"Category 3 open fire" which means an open fire that burns
 

• material concurrently in 3 or more piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
•  material in one or more piles each exceeding 2 m in height or 3 m in width,
• one or more windrows, each not exceeding 200 m in length or 15 m in width,
  stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 ha.

Also prohibited are the activities listed below (Wildfire Act, Section 12):

• Fireworks;
• Sky Lanterns;
• Binary Exploding Targets;
• Burn Barrels or Burn Cages of any size or description; and
• Air Curtain Burners.

What the danger class ratings mean

Low: Fires may start easily and spread quickly but there will be minimal involvement of deeper fuel layers or larger fuels.

Moderate: Forest fuels are drying and there is an increased risk of surface fires starting. Carry out any forest activities with caution.

High: Forest fuels are very dry and the fire risk is serious. New fires may start easily, burn vigorously, and challenge fire suppression efforts. Extreme caution must be used in any forest activities. Open burning and industrial activities may be restricted.

Extreme: Extremely dry forest fuels and the fire risk is very serious. New fires will start easily, spread rapidly, and challenge fire suppression efforts. General forest activities may be restricted, including open burning, industrial activities and campfires.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/wildfire-situation/fire-danger