Forestry officials in British Columbia have issued open fire bans for most parts of the province in an effort to prevent the start and spread of wildfires, as hot, dry conditions persist through much of the region.
The province has temporarily banned open fires of any size, including campfires, as well as fireworks, tiki torches, sky lanterns, burning barrels, burning cages, air curtain burners and binary exploding targets.
The ban does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes.
Jay Sharpe, chief of the Sasamat Fire Department, said conditions were the driest they鈥檝e been in years. He said even a single structure catching fire had the potential to cause serious damage.
鈥淚f it gets away and gets into the trees, it could be significant,鈥� Sharpe said.
Southern B.C. is in the middle of an extended heatwave that鈥檚 expected to continue into next week, leaving the region鈥檚 plant life dry and vulnerable to flame. Temperatures are expected to peak at 30 C on Sunday, with little to no rain in the forecast until next Friday.
Carol Mason , Metro Vancouver鈥檚 chief administrative officer, said the city was taking action in light of the extended dry spell.
鈥淲hat we're seeing is an impact to our water reservoirs,鈥� Mason said. 鈥淲e're at about 79 per cent, which typically at that level would be later in the season, at the end of July and into August.鈥�
Mason said the city would be ramping up water restrictions, moving to stage two in its plans. At this level 鈥� which hasn鈥檛 been reached since 2003 鈥� home lawns can only be watered once per week, among other restrictions.
The B.C. Wildfire Service is already fighting more than 150 fires in the province, and officials want to keep that number from growing due to man-made blazes.
Several municipalities around Vancouver have already banned campfires, barbecues and smoking in public parks, out of fear that a stray spark might ignite dry brush. West Vancouver bylaw officers are handing out $500 fines to anyone caught violating the bans.
Campfires, barbecues and discarded cigarette butts have caused wildfires in the past, and B.C. officials fear it could happen again during this period of vulnerability.
Fire concerns put a damper on Canada Day celebrations earlier in the week. Bylaw officers were enforcing the barbecue ban on July 1, and the city of Port Coquitlam decided to cancel a fireworks show rather than risk starting a fire.
With files from CTV Vancouver
