Cooler weather may be on the horizon, but in the meantime the fire danger rating in the Salmon Arm Fire Zone is extreme.
So tinder-dry after a long spell of hot weather that Kamloops Fire Centre and Salmon Arm officials initiated a ban on all open burning including campfires, effective noon today and are asking area residents not to cut firewood until there has been substantial rain.
“It’s not illegal, but we’re asking people to wait,” said fire information officer Mary Ann Leach from the Kamloops Fire Centre.
Leach says crews have had to respond to several fires caused by power saws being used to cut and buck wood. And while it may not be illegal in some areas, those who cut firewood must do so before 1 p.m. and a “fire watcher” must remain on site for a minimum of two hours after cutting is completed.
The costs of ignoring this advice can be huge. Failure to comply with a restriction can result in a $345 fine. And anyone who causes a wildfire through arson or recklessness may be fined up to $1 million and be held responsible for firefighting costs.
The same holds true with anyone who ignores the prohibition on open burning of any kind, including waste, slash or other burning whether piled or not, as well as tiki torches, fireworks and burning barrels.
The ban does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes.
“We’re saying this unseasonably warm and dry weather is a 10-year anomaly,” says Leach. “Normally we would have had a good rain by now.”
While they haven’t given the long, dry spell a name, Environment Canada meteorologist Greg Pearce says the last significant rainfall measured at the Salmon Arm automatic station was 7.6 mm on Aug. 11, with .8 mm falling on Aug. 11 and 1.0 mm on Aug. 15.
“Those are the only days I see anything,” Pearce said Monday after consulting Environment Canada records. “Precipitation is looking pretty sparse over the next few days, but it looks like the weather pattern will change on the weekend.”
That is when temperatures are expected to normalize and the threat, or promise, of showers increase.
Meanwhile, the Salmon Arm Fire Zone, which is part of the Kamloops Fire Centre, has had 17 wildfires to date this year, seven person caused, and 10 sparked by lightning.
Fire Protection Officer Kirk Hughes says he believes many campers are finally getting the message about making sure their fires are out and the ashes cold to the touch before leaving their campsites.
To report fires or illegal burning, call *5555 on your cell or toll-free 1-800-663-5555. In Salmon Arm, call 250-803-4060 during the day for illegal burning, or 911 if there is a fire.