Region lifts bans
All open fires are once again permitted throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, which includes the Sunshine Coast.
BC Wildfire Service announced the lift effective noon on Monday, September 26. In addition to campfires and open fires, also permitted are torches, burn barrels, fireworks, sky lanterns and binary exploding targets.
While cooler weather and accumulated rain made the lift possible, the province reminds all residents that local governments still have their own fire restrictions and to check with local authorities before lighting a fire of any size.
Also, fires burning material more than two metres high or three metres wide; stubble or grass more than 2,000 square metres; or more than two piles of any size still require a burn registration number. For more information, call 1.888.797.1717.
Grant funds unit
Fire departments around Powell River Regional District will now have a new tool in their firefighting arsenals.
The regional district has acquired a wildfire emergency preparedness structure protection unit through a $40,000 grant from Powell River Community Forest.
The unit, which is housed inside a trailer, includes specialized equipment for fighting the spread of urban interface wildfires, including several types of sprinklers designed to protect homes and other out-buildings on residents’ properties.
The unit was one of several recommendations in the 2015 Regional Community Wildfire Protection Plan and will be deployed throughout the region where ever it is needed. Training for the unit is set to begin immediately.
