Just as the heat begins to build in the Southern Interior, B.C.’s open fire bans are starting to roll out.
As of noon on Thursday, the Ministry of Forests prohibited Category 3 open fires throughout the Kamloops and Southeast fire centres. Fires of that size have already been banned in the Cariboo fire centre.
A category 3 fire is any fire larger than two metres high by three metres wide, three or more concurrently burning piles no larger than two metres high by three metres wide and the burning of one or more windrows and burning of stubble or grass over an area greater than 0.2 hectares.
Campfires are still permitted for the time being which shows a marked difference from this time last year, when the province had already instituted a provincewide campfire ban.
That said, a year ago, the Southern Interior was facing an unprecedented heat wave that had devastating effects, specifically for the town of Lytton, B.C.
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It broke a Canada-wide temperature record June 29, 2021, when the mercury reached 49.6 C. A devastating fire followed.
Since April 1, there has been a total of 186 fires so far this season. Around 92 per cent of these fires are out and 15 are currently burning.
Across the province, 69 cultural and prescribed fires were undertaken or planned to reduce wildfire risk and for ecological restoration purposes.
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