A haze of smoke now lingers in the Okanagan Valley, but BC Wildfire Services doesn’t plan on instating a campfire ban for the region for the weekend.
Six large wildfires of note, along with several other spot fires, are currently burning between Vernon and Penticton, leaving some residents to wonder why campfires would still be allowed in the region.
Nicole Bonnett, Communications Officer with BC Wildfire Services, says while campfires are may seem like an obvious danger, they’re not all that common in causing wildfires.
“A properly constructed campfire, in a half a metre by half a metre space, with a base dug down to the mineral soil, is not likely to spread if it’s being properly monitored and not left unattended,” said Bonnett.
“The minute we start getting more reports of unattended campfires, it definitely increases the awareness on our part that putting a ban in place might be a good move.”
A move towards a campfire ban will come within the “next week or so”, but BC Wildfire Services admits that doesn't necessarily mean the ban will be followed.
"Campfire bans go into place regionally based on what the fire centre is seeing within their region, environmental conditions, how dry the fuel is, the fire danger rating and all taken into consideration," explained Bonnett.
“There's also a process in terms of the legal order aspect, getting a map set up for public awareness, what the bans and prohibitions we put in place are superseded by what a local government might put in place."
On Wednesday, a campfire ban was declared across the Lower Mainland, Haida Gwaii and Vancouver Island, a region where only one wildfire is currently burning at an estimated size of .01 hectare.
Last year, a campfire ban was officially issued for Kamloops fire centre region on July 7, however, according to BC Wildfire Services, it could be another week before a campfire ban is instituted for the region.
During a campfire ban, anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail.
If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
