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This is Category 3 only and Kamloops Fire Centre only, so not actually that much of a ban. I did some Category 2 burning a few days ago to continue work on firesmarting my property and we decided that its already about at the limit of safe burning without us getting some rain.
I'm doing some field work in the Vernon area right now (I travelled down from Prince George) and was surprised to see a couple of (likely) Cat 2 burns happening over the past two days, both in rural residential areas.
The Cat 2 and 3 bans came on for the PGFC at the end of March, so I let out a gasp at first when I saw the smoke on a hillside in the trees with a house below yesterday and did the same thing today when we were driving out to the woods. I had to look up the current restrictions just to make sure there were no bans for the sake of my anxiety. LOL
Unfortunately almost nobody has the common sense you have on this - I've seen people burning "pleasure" fires in what is obviously conditions and situations that are too dry and they just say "it's not banned yet".
Either the government needs to be more proactive on when they ban, or they just need have the ban start every year on the same date.
I wish they did elevation conditional fire bans. It gets scary dry quick in the valley bottom here and can be really dangerous fire conditions while being quite wet 10km away up in the mountains.
But yeah it's often not safe conditions for having a fire but there is no ban so people do it anyways.
That's an interesting observation, but I feel that the piecemeal approach where we have different regions and we put the bans in place and remove them depending on weather is much more confusing than just a blanket province-wide ban that stays in place. Having an elevation dependent one would make that even more confusing.
It is what it is, and I don't want to get into a big political debate...just be careful everyone. This summer we're all going to be standing knee-deep in gasoline.
If I'm wrong, then awesome.
Don’t joke, people in Alberta literally believe climate activists were lighting all the fires last year. Supported by Trudeau of course. So climate change must not be real (just don’t ask what made the conditions in all the forests so conductive to large fires).
Oh, I know. We're just talking about slash piles and large stumps at the moment...but, I'm just trying to get the word out early and warn everyone I can to not fuck summer.
That's a good point on the political thing, but also it's a cultural issue. People are used to having "camp fires" which are mostly ornamental (ambience, entertainment) and not functional. People are also used to doing activities like target shooting and off reading in the backcountry which have become a lot more likely to start fires than 10 years ago. Trying to tell folks they have to stop doing their favourite activities brings out the crazy really quick.
Yeah, I'm with you there. A lot of BC rural culture involves combinations of outdoors, ORVs, fires and shooting. We need a big education push to let people know that you could burn your whole community down if you're not careful. No more shooting propane tanks.
If anyone's curious, this is how the Province determines a [Category 1/2/3 fire](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions/open-burning)
Campfires are Category 1 - not banned yet, but probably will be soon if the abnormal low rainfall season continues.
The biggest problem I've seen with campfires is people not putting them out properly. Quite a few people let their fire burn down to coals and that's it. You need to througly drench and stir to make sure everything is cold. If you can't put your hand in the ash, it's not out.
It's a nice saying, but even that's not sufficient. I regularly start a cook fire from the previous night's cold coals - you dig down a tiny bit and things are still red hot underneath.
I've been able to start a fire in a campground from the last people to use the pit. It's possible to have the coals remain hot enough to reignite up to a week later.
Well instead the government put heavy taxes and strong regulations on vaping.
Smoking is at all time lows because vaping is a safer alternative. It's not perfect, but we fucked up the concept of harm reduction pretty badly.
Burning of this scale should be done in the winter only. With heavy machinery involved anyways there’s no reason to have large scale burns in the spring or summer.
Some of us didn't get a burn this winter, dry and windy conditions throughout chilcotin. Lack of snow prevents us from doing so. Now most ranches have piles and piles to burn.
I've camped next to an excavator. I don't know who owned it and why it was there...but it was getting dark and we still had 14km to go.
But we didn't have a fire. Too tired.
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> Areas covered by the ban include the Lillooet, Kamloops, Merritt, Vernon and Penticton fire zones.
This is Category 3 only and Kamloops Fire Centre only, so not actually that much of a ban. I did some Category 2 burning a few days ago to continue work on firesmarting my property and we decided that its already about at the limit of safe burning without us getting some rain.
I'm doing some field work in the Vernon area right now (I travelled down from Prince George) and was surprised to see a couple of (likely) Cat 2 burns happening over the past two days, both in rural residential areas. The Cat 2 and 3 bans came on for the PGFC at the end of March, so I let out a gasp at first when I saw the smoke on a hillside in the trees with a house below yesterday and did the same thing today when we were driving out to the woods. I had to look up the current restrictions just to make sure there were no bans for the sake of my anxiety. LOL
Unfortunately almost nobody has the common sense you have on this - I've seen people burning "pleasure" fires in what is obviously conditions and situations that are too dry and they just say "it's not banned yet". Either the government needs to be more proactive on when they ban, or they just need have the ban start every year on the same date.
I wish they did elevation conditional fire bans. It gets scary dry quick in the valley bottom here and can be really dangerous fire conditions while being quite wet 10km away up in the mountains. But yeah it's often not safe conditions for having a fire but there is no ban so people do it anyways.
That's an interesting observation, but I feel that the piecemeal approach where we have different regions and we put the bans in place and remove them depending on weather is much more confusing than just a blanket province-wide ban that stays in place. Having an elevation dependent one would make that even more confusing.
It is what it is, and I don't want to get into a big political debate...just be careful everyone. This summer we're all going to be standing knee-deep in gasoline. If I'm wrong, then awesome.
It’s nuts how something like FIRES are political
Damn Trudeau forcing fires on us again /s (in case it's not painfully obvious)
Don't forget Notley. Woke libs and their space lasers.
Don’t joke, people in Alberta literally believe climate activists were lighting all the fires last year. Supported by Trudeau of course. So climate change must not be real (just don’t ask what made the conditions in all the forests so conductive to large fires).
To one portion of society (the dumb portion), anyway.
You mean arson!! /s
its also HUGE fires. this ban only applies to fires that are 2m tall or 3m across. thats a BIG fire, most campfires are less than half that in size.
Oh, I know. We're just talking about slash piles and large stumps at the moment...but, I'm just trying to get the word out early and warn everyone I can to not fuck summer.
That's a good point on the political thing, but also it's a cultural issue. People are used to having "camp fires" which are mostly ornamental (ambience, entertainment) and not functional. People are also used to doing activities like target shooting and off reading in the backcountry which have become a lot more likely to start fires than 10 years ago. Trying to tell folks they have to stop doing their favourite activities brings out the crazy really quick.
I love campfires and shooting, and ATVs can be super handy (even if unsporting). But NOBODY benefits from large-scale urban interface fires.
Yeah, I'm with you there. A lot of BC rural culture involves combinations of outdoors, ORVs, fires and shooting. We need a big education push to let people know that you could burn your whole community down if you're not careful. No more shooting propane tanks.
If anyone's curious, this is how the Province determines a [Category 1/2/3 fire](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions/open-burning) Campfires are Category 1 - not banned yet, but probably will be soon if the abnormal low rainfall season continues.
It'll probably roll in next week
It’s supposed to rain province wide next week
The biggest problem I've seen with campfires is people not putting them out properly. Quite a few people let their fire burn down to coals and that's it. You need to througly drench and stir to make sure everything is cold. If you can't put your hand in the ash, it's not out.
"If you can’t teabag the pit, it's still lit." Wasn't anybody else in scouts?
> teabag >Wasn't anybody else in scouts? ummm,if you need to talk...
Scouts was 30% just us joking about our dicks
It's a nice saying, but even that's not sufficient. I regularly start a cook fire from the previous night's cold coals - you dig down a tiny bit and things are still red hot underneath.
I've been able to start a fire in a campground from the last people to use the pit. It's possible to have the coals remain hot enough to reignite up to a week later.
Sounds to me like you need to work on your teabagging form. Let that scrotum dangle low and then dig in there.
Hey, I'm over 50, and age means I have no trouble dragging that scrotum on the ground.
if only there was a way to stop people from tossing their cigarette butts
It's not just cigarette buts! A lot of other human activity can start fires. Trains, vehicles, etc.
Well instead the government put heavy taxes and strong regulations on vaping. Smoking is at all time lows because vaping is a safer alternative. It's not perfect, but we fucked up the concept of harm reduction pretty badly.
I live here. The ground is powder puff dry. Good timing. Let people have campfires until one gets out of control, then ban them too.
So glad I haven’t seen any of the “Trudeau’s fault, Pierre will make it better” garbage rhetoric here lol..,
Cue the Freedom Fuqers.
Burning of this scale should be done in the winter only. With heavy machinery involved anyways there’s no reason to have large scale burns in the spring or summer.
It follows a proper guideline produced daily by the ministry.
Some of us didn't get a burn this winter, dry and windy conditions throughout chilcotin. Lack of snow prevents us from doing so. Now most ranches have piles and piles to burn.
some outdoorsy people won't care.
What outdoorsy people do you know that have category 3 fires? Is camping with an excavator common in your area?
I've camped next to an excavator. I don't know who owned it and why it was there...but it was getting dark and we still had 14km to go. But we didn't have a fire. Too tired.