The area around the District of Squamish is now at the highest level of wildfire alert, according to the government agency in charge of setting it.
An Extreme Fire Danger level has existed for the last week in the Pemberton Fire Zone, which includes the areas outside Squamish and Whistler, said Sue Croft of the B.C. Forestry Service's Coastal Fire Centre. It was put in place on Friday (June 30), making the current risk of wildfires higher than elsewhere along the coast, including in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island.The fire centre has banned backyard burning and industrial pile burning in the region around Squamish and is considering a ban on campfires.
The backyard burning ban prohibits the use of open fires that burn waste material in piles less than two metres high and three metres wide, and prohibits grass burning over an area less than 0.2 hectares in size.
An industrial pile burning ban prohibits the use of open fires that burn material in piles over two metres high and three metres wide. This ban also prohibits burning of windrows and stubble in an area over 0.2 ha in size.
Within Squamish, which is a different jurisdiction, Bob Fulton of the district fire rescue said that wildfire conditions were consider "High", rather than "Extreme", and would remain so until the Ministry of Forests changed it.
"There's a ban on Class A burning, mainly land clearing, but small fires are still allowed within properties and campsites," he said.
"In most years, 60 per cent of the forest fires are started by human activity and 40 per cent by lightning," said Croft. "This year to date we have had 102 wildfires in our fire zone and 80 per cent have been due to human activity. That's awfully high."
She added that 60 Pemberton Fire Zone wildfire fighters were away from the district, having been sent north to assist the crews fighting the wildfires threatening Tumbler Ridge last week.
"We can't afford to be tying up our crews with preventable fires," she said.
Most of the man-made wildfires so far, she added, were "no brainers", caused by people failing to put out campfires properly or making them too big.
Fulton said a big issue for his fire rescue team is smokers who throw burning butts away.
"People need to be careful with their smoking material," he said.
The Ministry of Forests and Range has a checklist to keep areas safer from the risk of fire in the current conditions:
Keep eavestroughs and roofs clear of debris;
Create a "priority zone" extending 10 metres (30 feet) away from buildings, where all flammable shrubs, trees and deadfall should be removed;
Move woodpiles and propane containers away from structures.
The Forestry Service said there more than 2,000 wildfires every year in BC, half of which are caused by human activity.Up to $50,000 is offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those who deliberately set wildfires. Report suspicious activities to the RCMP.
Report all grass and brush immediately by calling 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on cell phones.
