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Kamloops News

Open burn ban to be fully lifted

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The Kamloops Fire Centre received calls of open burns in areas still under prohibition this long weekend, but staff are happy none led to wildfires.

Fire Information Officer Kayla Pepper says a 13.7 hectare fire just north of Lytton this weekend is believed to be human-caused, but not a result of open burning. Nine firefighters and local residents were on site Saturday as the fire tore away at grass and a few trees. Crews stayed on until the early morning on Sunday and half a dozen firefighters returned later in the day Sunday. The past two days have seen crews patrol and perform mop-up duties.

The weekend also saw a small fire (under half a hectare) in the Merritt Fire Zone and some reports of open burning.

“There were still some reports of non-compliant burning in areas where the prohibition is still in place,” Pepper says. “For the most part the fire north of Lytton was the largest fire we dealt with over the weekend. That’s still one too many (human-caused.)”

The open burning ban will be lifted across the entire fire centre as of noon Wednesday, Oct. 15 but Pepper warns people should still take safety precautions.

“You can burn brush as long as you’re doing so safely, with the proper tools and water,” she says, “And any large scale burn has to be registered.”

The open burning ban was lifted in the Salmon Arm zone earlier this month and the Clearwater zone earlier this month. A campfire ban was also in place for five weeks but lifted Aug. 21.

B.C. Wildfire will also be performing controlled burns over the coming weeks as weather permits.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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