As the warm weather continued this week, Delta's fire rating has once again been raised.
On Friday, the fire danger rating was raised from high to extreme.
An outdoor burning ban has been in place since June.
On June 1, the fire chief cancelled all burning permits and prohibited all types of outdoor fire until further notice. The ban includes all areas of the municipality and campfires and open cooking (briquette and propane barbecues) in all Delta parks, with the exception of Metro Vancouver controlled fire pits on Deas Island Park and Boundary Bay.
As well, smoking is prohibited in all Delta parks and municipal staff continues to patrol parks and beaches to ensure no unauthorized activities are taking place.
The public is urged to exercise caution and remain on designated park trails to reduce the risk of accidental fires. Residents are asked to report any fires directly to 911 and any unauthorized activity that poses a risk of fire to the Delta Police Department's non-emergency line at 604-946-4411.
Here are a few tips to enjoy the hot weather and help prevent fires:
- dispose of smoking materials properly, making sure they are completely extinguished.
- don't leave barbecues unattended and ensure they are turned off properly after you have finished using them.
- explain the dangers of playing with fire and lighting fires to children.
- properly dispose of bottles and broken glass you find outdoors to avoid them magnifying the sun's rays and starting a fire.
For more information visit www.bcwildfire.ca.
