Burnaby sets fire rating for public parks to ‘high’

The City of Burnaby has issued a ban on every flame except those under gas barbecues and stoves throughout its public parks and beaches.

The fire danger rating was set to “high” Thursday for all Burnaby parks, beaches, trails, and outdoor spaces one day ahead of a province-wide campfire ban.

Paul Rushton, a public information officer with the Burnaby Fire Department, says hot and dry conditions have made it dangerous to light anything that isn’t a safely contained flame.

“We want all the people and the residents of Burnaby to understand that the only type of cooking utensil that they can use is a CSA-approved barbecue system in the parks in Burnaby at this time. Otherwise, everything else is prohibited, from smoking, to charcoal, barbecuing, to any open flame,” said Rushton.

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He says bylaw officers will be patrolling the public areas to provide information to people found violating the ban.

“Education and fire prevention is the most effective tool out there. And if we can talk to people and let them know the risk — be able to butt out properly, in the proper receptacles, and proper containers — and that way we educate them to look after the parks and and be safe, themselves, in the park. That’s our most important thing.”

Rushton says the conditions for high fire risk had been building even before recent high temperatures.

“Don’t let the greenery fool you,” said Rushton. “The bushes and the trees and the parks look green, but if you go into the park, the vegetation and the dense ground is very, very dry … and just the slightest spark or fire will cause it to go, and we definitely don’t want that.”

He says neither the city nor the fire department know when it will be safe to put the rating back down.

You can visit the City of Burnaby website to check the current fire rating and learn more about how to reduce the risk of wildfires.