By Andrea Klassen
KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK
For the first time since 2011, campers in the Kamloops Fire Centre have been able to enjoy sing-alongs and s’mores around an open flame all summer long.
However, fire information officer Max Birkner says that doesn’t mean a campfire ban isn’t in the cards for early fall. Although the wet weather forecast is making a fire ban less likely, Birkner notes the fire centre did ban campfires from Sept. 14 to Sept. 22 in 2011.
“Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it won’t happen,” he said.
The last year with no campfire ban at all was 2008.
Birkner said it’s impossible to predict whether the Kamloops Fire Centre area, of which the Shuswap is a part, will see a campfire ban before mid-October. This is typically when other fire-related bans are lifted, marking the end of the season.
“That would be similar to trying to predict a long-term forecast and it’s hard to predict what the weather would look like in the middle of September,” he said.
“If it gets hot enough and if there are some larger fires, then we could put on a fire ban.”
Bans are enacted based on weather conditions, the behaviour of existing fires and public compliance with fire-safety rules, such as putting out campfires before leaving a site. Birkner said cooler summer weather has helped bring down the number of hectares burned within the fire centre this year. Where more than 7,300 hectares of land had burned by this time in 2015, only 381 hectares have burned in 2016.
For campers who are planning to set up fires, Birkner said keeping an eye on the flames is key.
“If you’re going camping, just put out the fire when you leave the campsite,” he said. “It’s a really simple thing to do. You just pour water on there and stir it around and make sure it’s completely out before you leave your campsite. That’s basically what we’re asking of people.”