With strong winds in the forecast for the Cariboo Chilcotin Wednesday, April 21 and Thursday, April 22, the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) is urging extreme caution for anyone doing outdoor burning or consider postponing burning until a calmer day.
Winds are expected to reach speeds of 20 kilometres per hour with gusts up to 40 to 50 kilometres per hour.
The winds are expected to remain moderate to strong through the night and tomorrow, except for in the western Chilcotin, which will see a small decrease in winds overnight.
Currently within the Cariboo Fire Centre there are no burning prohibitions in effect, however, BCWS staff are monitoring the situation very closely.
Before lighting any fire, people are advised to monitor the upcoming weather forecast and check with local governments to see if any burning restrictions are in place.
Anyone conducting an outdoor burn must ensure that adequate resources are on hand to control the fire and stop it from spreading.
Burning during windy weather is not advised because weather conditions can change quickly, and the wind may carry embers to other combustible material and start new fires.
Appropriately sized fireguards need to be around the planned fire site by clearing away twigs, grass, leaves and other combustible material, right down to the mineral soil.
Never leave a fire unattended and make sure that any fire is completely extinguished, and the ashes are cold to the touch before leaving the area for any length of time
Burn registration holders are encouraged to check on piles that were burned throughout the winter to ensure they are fully extinguished.
There is always potential for winter burn piles to “holdover” until spring. What this means is that burn piles can and do burn deep and smoulder until the spring when warm weather and snow free conditions allow these smouldering fire to become active and turn into a wildfire.
Anyone wishing to light a Category three open fire must obtain a burn registration number ahead of time by calling 1-888-797-1717. A burn registration number is not required to light a Category two open fire.
For more information regarding the Ventilation Index and Open Burning and Smoke Control Regulations, please visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/air/air-pollution/smoke-burning/ventilation-index
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