The heat is back on again in Delta, nothing like the heat dome from two years ago, but enough to dispense with the more relaxed position from last week after the cooling rains.
Before the rain, Delta was drying out in May and early June, bringing the city up to a high fire danger rating a month earlier than usual, said Deputy Fire Chief Dave Wood.
The rain brought that rating down to low, but it’s now moved up to moderate and it could move to high very soon.
“We’re back to moderate now. Looking forward, there’s definitely a drying trend forming over the next two weeks,” said Wood. “I would assume, even with the rain we got, we’re going to be back to high pretty quickly.”
Regardless of the fire danger rating, Delta doesn’t allow campfires, bush burning, cooking fires or beach fires at any time of year, anywhere.
Smoking is also banned in all city parks.
Wood pointed out that earlier this spring at the start of the wildfire season in B.C., none of the fires were caused by lightning.
“They were all human caused,” he said.
As the fire danger rating rises, people should be aware that their actions are what’s probably going to cause a wildfire.
“As we do head into summer months and that danger rating will inevitably go up in the next two weeks, people should be aware that their actions are what is probably going to cause a wildfire situation, as opposed to a natural occurrence,” Wood said.
Homeowners should not butt out their cigarettes into their potted plants, where there’s dry bark mulch.
“We’ve had numerous fires over the years as a result of a smouldering cigarette starting a fire after being put in a dry plant pot. Often, that plant, is beside the cedar or vinyl siding of a house. Use a proper ashtray,” Wood said.
When the fire rating is at high, the fire department will start patrolling Centennial Beach to ensure there are no beach fires. When the fire rating is extreme, they’ll start patrolling parks to ensure there are no campfires or smoking.
