The Sasamat Volunteer Fire Department has issued a burning ban that is likely to last the rest of the summer, according to fire chief Jay Sharpe.
The ban will come into effect midnight Tuesday. Sharpe said the Coastal Fire Centre, run by the provincial government for the surrounding area, has also issued a ban effective noon Wednesday.
Sharpe said the recent heat wave has left the ground bone dry, and the forecast doesn’t appear to be providing any relief. An incident at Buntzen Lake on Sunday emphasized the need for a ban, said Sharpe. A tossed cigarette caused a fire there but fortunately staff from BC Hydro, which operates Buntzen Lake park, were able to deal with it right away, he said.
“We’d need an extended period of rain to call it off,” said Sharpe. “Most summers we get two or three weeks of dry weather every year and typically we don’t lift [the ban] until the end of summer.
“One rainfall won’t make a difference.”
Following a rainy day, with the current dry conditions, it would only digging up a handful of dirt to realize the forest floor was still bone dry, said Sharpe.
Even before the ban, anyone want to have a campfire in Anmore needed a permit with several restrictions while Belcarra does not allow campfires at any time.
Sharpe said some people don’t get the message. He pointed out last summer, when the whole province was on fire, four people actually lit fires in the Sasamat fire protection area.
Sharpe said anyone seeing smoke shouldn’t hesitate to call 9-1-1.
