As a campfire ban comes in effect today across B.C. the provincial government is also warning residents that water restrictions may not be far behind.
Emergency Minister Bowinn Ma announced the ban B次元官网网址� which begins at 3 p.m. and affects everywhere except Haida Gwaii B次元官网网址� July 10 during an update about the wildfire season, which also served as a platform to prepare people for future measures tied to another threat: water scarcity in the face of worsening drought conditions.
B次元官网网址淢any communities are implementing water restrictions already (and) we anticipate the need to escalate those water restrictions in larger areas of the province,B次元官网网址� Ma said. B次元官网网址淎nd just for context, the drought situation is serious. We have not experienced this level of widespread drought across the province this early in the year in recent memory.B次元官网网址�
Primary areas of concern include the northeastern corner of B.C., as well as the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, Ma said, noting that ministry staff are reaching out to communities to begin discussing more measures.
Half of the 34 provincial water basins are currently experiencing Level 4 drought conditions with Level 5 being the most severe, Ma said, adding that the situation is going to get worse. Since communities may not feel the full effects of drought for weeks, the provincial government is acting now, she said.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 why we are signalling today that the situation is serious,B次元官网网址� Ma said.
British Columbians should not only follow already existing water restrictions in their communities, but also do their part by using less water in their daily lives, she said. B次元官网网址淲e need people to pay attention,B次元官网网址� she said, adding that the province will offer a technical briefing later this week.
Meanwhile, todayB次元官网网址檚 campfire ban comes into effect with larger fires already prohibited across much of the province, against a backdrop of increased wildfire activity across the province, with more expected.
B次元官网网址淚 urge everyone do their part,B次元官网网址� Ma said. B次元官网网址淗uman-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from lightning-caused fires.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭hings have certainly escalated very drastically in a large part of the province over the weekend. The last three days saw more than 23,000 lightning strikes across much of province. Since April 1, 904 wildfires have burnt more than a total of 1.15 million hectares.
Ma said drought conditions and high temperatures have compounded this lightning activity, creating a concerning combination.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the drought condition in addition to the wildfire situation that is really causing concern and causing us to pay very, very close attention,B次元官网网址� she said.
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Cliff Chapman, director of provincial operations for British Columbia Wildfire Service, said B.C. currently lacks the capacity to respond to human-caused fires, including smaller fires that fall into Category 1.
B次元官网网址淲e have not had a large concern with human-caused campfires creating wildfires, but as Minister Ma mentioned we do not have the capacity to respond to fires that we can prevent.B次元官网网址�
Chapman said B.C. has put in what he called a B次元官网网址渟ignificant requestB次元官网网址� to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
B次元官网网址淲e have asked for somewhere in the neighbourhood of 400 additional resources,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e are also working with our partners in Montana, California (and northwestern United States) to secure additional resources, not just for the next five days but really looking at it through the lens of the next two months.B次元官网网址�
Chapman said 160 firefighters from the United States and Mexico are currently in B.C. Another 100 Mexican firefighters are set to join but not until July 17, he added. Overall, he predicted an increase of additional resources from abroad, while also stressing the need for people to do their part.
B次元官网网址淲e are in a position in this province, that we cannot afford to have a preventable fire occur in this province,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e are asking for help from the globeB次元官网网址o come support our response right now. If we have just one campfire, it gets away and starts a very impactful fire, thatB次元官网网址檚 going to draw resources away from wherever they currently are.B次元官网网址�
wolfgang.depner@blackpress.ca
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