On Thursday, April 16, 2015, the Wildfire Management Branch responded to two new wildfires in the North Columbia region, both of which were human-caused and therefore preventable.

These fires were the result of poorly planned open burning:

• Wildfire Management crews were supported by the Golden Fire Department at an 18-hectare fire near the community of Donald. The fire spread quickly in dry grass and at one point threatened several structures in the area, but they weren’t damaged. The fire is now contained.
• A small wildfire seven kilometres south of Golden was caused by embers that were blown into surrounding grass from a previously burned pile.

These two incidents serve as reminders for people to remain vigilant with any open burning or recreational activities where fire is being used, and to ensure that they have contingency plans in place to extinguish any fire that may escape.

The recent unseasonably mild temperatures and low relative humidity in southeast B.C. have increased the wildfire risk in all snow-free areas. Dried grass from last summer has not yet renewed itself due to low overnight temperatures, so it is highly flammable.

The North Columbia region may experience high winds on Saturday and temperatures above 20 degrees on Sunday and early next week.

In British Columbia, the Wildfire Act specifies a person’s legal obligations when using fire in or within one kilometre of forest land or grassland. If an outdoor burn escapes and causes a wildfire, the person responsible may be held accountable for damages and fire suppression costs.

Homeowners are reminded to visit www.bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNews/Bans.asp to check if there are any open burning prohibitions in place. Before conducting a burn, they should also check with their local fire department, municipality and regional district to see if there are any open burning restrictions or bylaws in effect.

Anyone igniting a fire outdoors must take the following precautions:

• Ensure that enough people, water and tools are on hand to control the fire and prevent it from escaping.
• Do not burn during windy conditions. Weather conditions can change quickly and the wind may carry embers to other combustible material and start new fires.
• Create a fireguard at least one metre around the planned fire site by clearing away twigs, grass, leaves and other combustible material.
• Never leave a fire unattended.
• Make sure that your fire is completely extinguished and the ashes are cold to the touch before you leave the area for any length of time.
• Wind speed in the North Columbia region tends to be calm in the morning but increases in the afternoon and evenings, which can lead to quickly spreading grass fires.

To view the Wildfire Management Branch guide to open fires, visit: http://bcwildfire.ca/Restrictions/BackyardBurning.pdf

If you are planning to conduct a grass burn over 0.2 hectares (Category 3 fires) or do any large-scale industrial burning, you must obtain a burn registration number ahead of time by calling 1 888 797-1717.

Venting conditions should always be checked before conducting an open burn. If conditions are rated “poor” or “fair”, open burning is restricted. The venting index can be found at: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/epdpa/venting/venting.html

To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.

For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to: http://www.bcwildfire.ca

You can also follow the latest wildfire news on:

Twitter at http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo

Facebook at http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Media Contacts:

Jordan Turner
Fire Information Officer
Wildfire Management Branch
Southeast Fire Centre
250 365-4014