The Central Okanagan's open burning season ends next week

Open burning season comes to an end in the Central Okanagan next week.

On Tuesday, the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) said permits for open burning will end on April 30.

Until then residents of Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country and Peachland may notice columns of smoke coming from agricultural areas as farmers and property owners burn wood debris.

With just one week left in the open burning season, the RDCO says there are alternatives like chipping, grinding or, if applicable, yard waste disposal at several landfill sites or transfer stations across the region.

The RDCO also reminds all residents that, with the exception of the City of Kelowna, campfires are still permitted in most areas of the Central Okanagan at this time.

“Appropriate safety precautions must be taken to prevent the spread of a fire including ensuring the fire is always attended, having tools and water on hand to contain the fire, and making sure it is fully extinguished,” the RDCO says.

All agricultural and other eligible property owners are reminded to continue following all local government bylaw requirements as they finish up their pile burning.

The RDCO says in a news release that residents also must ensure burning is allowed on the day they want to burn and avoid “nuisance smoke” in any Central Okanagan community.

Residents can call the outdoor burning hotline at 1-855-262-2876 and listen to the message to confirm that burning is permitted on that day. Additionally, each morning an online outdoor burning indicator is updated at rdco.com/airquality.