Crews still monitoring fire danger despite lifting some bans
Posted October 20, 2012 10:37 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Now that the rain has started falling, it looks like the fire bans across much of the province are pretty much over. But we may not be out of the woods just yet.
Bans have been lifted in the Coastal Fire Centre, which includes Abbotsford, as well as in Salmon Arm, Clearwater and in the south eastern part of the province.
Fire Information Officer Fionna Tollovsen says it has been an expensive firefighting season.
“So far the Wildfire Management Branch has spent $148 million fighting wildfires, but we are expecting to recover about $8.5 million from sending our crews out of province,” she explains.
Tollovsen says that dollar figure is higher than last year.
“Last year was one of the lowest years on record in terms of number of fires. Most of the cost we incurred last year was due to sending our crews out of province. It was a record year for us deploying our resources.”
Tollovsen adds despite many bans being lifted, you should still check with your local jurisdiction and only burn at safe times. And as long as we don’t get another dry spell, she says all fire bans province-wide should be lifted by the end of the month.
