Natural resource officers with the Wildfire Management Branch of the Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resources are investigating whether an escaped slash burn met the conditions required under the province’s Wildfire Act.
Ranchero firefighters and Rapattack responded to an escaped fire at the top of Black Road near Lidstone Road early Tuesday afternoon.
Embers from two large slash piles sparked other spot fires within an area being cleared for development.
“They are required to have a burning reference number and it’s questionable,” says Wildfire Management Branch fire protection officer Kirk Hughes, noting that while the operator of the slash burn did have a reference nuber it was not neccessarily valid for this particular time of year.
Structural firefighters from the Ranchero Firehall did a great job knocking the fire down and prevented it from spreading farther, says Hughes, who brought in a three-person initial attack crew from the Rapattack centre near the Salmon Arm Airport.
“Ranchero firefighters took the threat out of it and the three-person initial attack crew stayed to make sure the fire was extinguished.”
Hughes says Ranchero firefighters responded because the property in question is within the Columbia Shuswap Regional District’s fire protection area.
However, he says, the situation is complicated by the fact the regional district does not have a bylaw that regulates open burning, so open burning of this nature is legislated under the province’s Wildfire Act and regulations.
Whether the operator of the slash burn met the regulations is also part of the current investigation
“They had one piece of heavy equipment and one operator so we’re investigating,” he says of the two slash piles that measured greater than five metres by five metres and are considered to be Category 3 fires under the act.
“The piles were ignited and got beyond the area of where they were supposed to burn, but didn’t burn any forest lands,” says Hughes, who notes the 2012 wildfire season has begun and people need to take the necessary precautions.
“Things are noticeably starting to dry out,” he says.
“When people are gonna burn, they need to understand the requirements of the law and be prepared in the event they have a fire escape.”
Hughes reminds residents there is the potential for “administrative penalties,” including fines, under the Wildfire Management Act.
As well, he notes, changes in regulations mean the Wildfire Management Branch no longer bases fire prohibitions on weather.
“We have defaulted to a date-driven scenario,” he says, pointing out that as of June 15, category two and three pile burning, fireworks and burn barrels will be prohibited.
The only fires permitted after June 15 will be campfires that are no bigger than half a metre by half a metre.
And they too could be curtailed by the Wildfire Management Branch if conditions warrant it.
For information on wildfires in the province, visit www.bcwildfire.ca.