The small amount of rain that hit the Tri-Cities last weekend has done little to change the area’s dry conditions and local fire chiefs are warning the public to continue to be vigilant with flammable material.
On Monday, the B.C. Wildfire Service listed the fire danger as “moderate” and, over the weekend, the rating dropped down to “low.”
But Coquitlam Fire Chief Wade Pierlot said it does not take long for the fire risk to ramp up again and people need to continue to be cautious.
“People’s awareness level drops with that rating and that is something that I don’t find helpful,” Pierlot said. “Another couple of days like today [Tuesday] and we could be on our way to a ‘high’ and then an ‘extreme.’”
The rating system is based on humidity levels and several other indexes, and includes a ground moisture content measurement from several areas around the Lower Mainland. Because the measurements are taken from a few fixed areas, Pierlot said it does not give a full picture of the variations that can occur from one part of the region to another.
“It is a useful rating,” he said, “but we will not alter our approach until we have seen a continued trend.”
Pierlot said firefighters have had to deal with a number of boulevard fires from discarded cigarettes, which continue to be the biggest problem his department has faced as a result of the dry conditions.
The city is also considering banning charcoal briquettes, which when discarded improperly have caused fires in parks and recreation areas.
Port Coquitlam Fire Chief Nick Delmonico concurred with Pierlot, saying the recent rain only dampened the surface.
It will only take a day or two of sunny weather to put conditions back to the way they were last week, Delmonico said, and he warned residents should continue to be cautious.
“We are not even in the main part of the fire season,” he said. “The bulk of it is in July and August… A small amount of rain does not change things.”
Delmonico said that like Coquitlam firefighters, his crews have dealt with cigarette and barbecue issues. But there have also been a handful of camp fires along the Coquitlam River that have required intervention.
Last Friday, Port Moody Fire Rescue issued a warning to residents reminding them to be careful with cigarettes on local parks and trails.
The department also recently announced restrictions that prohibit campfires, tiki torches, fireworks, firecrackers and barbecues in city parks that require charcoal briquettes or wood.
“Smoking is not permitted in our parks and trails at any time,” said PoMo Fire Chief Remo Faedo in a press release. “But with the current extreme fire hazard conditions, it’s critical that people refrain from smoking in these vulnerable areas.”
Low reservoir levels are also changing the way the fire departments conduct training, with both PoCo and Coquitlam suspending drills involving water for the time being. Pierlot said that in Coquitlam, his crews have even stopped washing trucks to conserve water.
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