Image Credit: Contributed

By Amandalina Letterio

WILDFIRES

BC Wildfire Service winds down activities, sends home half of its air tankers

Sep 10, 2021 | 4:24 PM

KAMLOOPS — The campfire ban has officially been lifted in the Kamloops area as of noon today.

Campfires smaller than 0.5 metres high and 0.5 metres wide are now permitted in the Kamloops region, but the use of fireworks, sky lanterns, burn barrels and burn cages are still prohibited until Oct. 15.

“Just a reminder to make sure your campfires are cool to the touch before you leave the area for any extended period of time and just making sure you have all the right tools and equipment on site,” cautioned Taylor MacDonald, Kamloops Fire Information Officer for the BC Wildfire Service.

The fire ban was put in place on June 30, when wildfires began to ignite all over British Columbia. The hot and dry weather that B.C. endured in July and continued through the first half of August produced lightning and gusty winds.

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These conditions resulted in 289 wildfire starts this summer and roughly 300,000 hectares burned.

Significant rain through much of the southern part of the province, in late August, helped to slow growth of many fires — and at the BC Wildfire Service, things are winding down.

“We had eight air tankers throughout the summer and we’re down to four and releasing a couple of them over the weekend, just because we’re not seeing as much wildfire and we’re able to get an initial attack start with all of our ground personnel,” Taylor Colman, provincial fire information officer for the BC Wildfire Service, told CFJC News.

The Sparks Lake fire camp located at the Parkcrest School site in Brocklehurst is being demobilized today and throughout next week. The BC Wildfire Service says it will evaluate the weather over the next few weeks to decide when it will be safe to take down the Oliver and White Rock Lake fire camps as well.