Why the Kamloops Fire Centre has yet to rescind the campfire ban

| September 21, 2017 in Wildfire

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Campfire bans have been rescinded in the Prince George, Northwest and Coastal Fire Centres of B.C.

However, campfire bans and area restrictions are still in place for the Cariboo, Kamloops and Southeast Fire Centres.

Still to date for the Kamloops Fire Centre, open burning is prohibited, a campfire ban restriction is still in place and forest use restrictions are in effect.

But according to fire information officer, Max Birkner, after a harrowing wildfire season, BC Wildfire Service remains cautious about when they'll rescind the bans and area restrictions.

"They're just waiting for conditions to be ideal throughout the fire centre," said Max Birkner, fire information officer for BC Wildfire Service. "It is assessed every week and of course, we are aware that there has been a lot of precipitation in areas like Clearwater and down in Princeton."

He said the centre has received numerous comments from the public about snow and rain falling in some areas and wondering why bans are still in place.

"The reason that there are area restrictions is because, it's not only for the crews that are working in there to protect them, it's also there are danger trees out there," said Birkner. "There's hot ash pits that exist throughout the fire so it's just a concern that people might intentionally go into those areas and get hurt by those hazards that exist after a fire."

According to BC Wildfire Service, B.C. has had 1,266 wildfires to date.

Of those 251 existed in the Kamloops Fire Centre.

Of the total 1,209,998 hectares burned to date in B.C., 212,854 hectares burned in the Kamloops Fire Centre.

Birkner said the Kamloops Fire Centre campfire ban should be lifted soon but it's impossible to say exactly when.

"Really right now, it's just a matter of being absolutely sure that it's going to be a good time to rescind that prohibition because the last thing that we want to do here at the fire centre is rescind a prohibition and have to put it back on."

On Wednesday at noon, the operation of off-road vehicles was permitted again on Crown land throughout the Cariboo, Kamloops and Southeast Fire Centre.

The good news, said Birkner, is that fire activity has quieted down in the Kamloops Fire Centre.

"We haven't had any new fires or anything," he said.

An area restriction for Crown land around the Diamond Creek wildfire is in place until September 30th at noon, or until the order is rescinded.

An area restriction for the area around the Elephant Hill wildfire remains in effect until October 31st at noon, or until the order is rescinded.

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