Langley firefighters are warning people to be careful with anything that could cause a spark as the heat wave has left dead, dry grass in its wake across the community.

“Be fire smart,” said assistant Township of Langley fire chief Dale Steeple.

That means not flicking cigarette butts out of car windows while driving, a practice that can start fires in grass or the mulch along roadsides.

Steeple noted that there is a provincial campfire ban in place – which includes the campsites in riverside parks like those on Brae Island and in Derby Reach Regional Park in Langley.

There is also a ban on any backyard burning, and the Township has given out two tickets in the two days before the July 3 and 4 weekend already.

“The grass is getting really dry out there,” said Steeple.

The cause of the fire that destroyed much of Lytton isn’t yet conclusively known, but there have been reports it started from sparks from a train.

“You saw what happened from a spark,” Steeple said, urging people to be careful.

Langley has seen brush fires and grass fires in previous dry summers, including one in 2019 near the Langley Community Airport.

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