Wildfire season in the B.C. Interior isn’t over just yet

It’s been a cooler, wetter summer for much of the B.C Interior, making it a less busy season for wildfire personnel.

But as the summer months come to an end, the B.C. Wildfire Service is urging the public to remain cautious with their fire use well into the late fall.

“If this hot, dry weather continues our danger rating could remain in the same state this is now for quite a while,” fire information officer Madison Smith says.

READ MORE: Cooler, wetter 'summer' weather in B.C. Interior was made to order for wildfire service

Typically the fire season runs from April 1 to October 31.

“Last year we did have resources assigned to incidents until the end of October,” she says. “So (the wildfire season) last year was quite long.”

Smith says it's difficult to speculate on how long this year’s season could last as it's dependent on weather conditions.

“Obviously temperatures are decreasing and there is more moisture overnight which helps with reducing the fire risk,” she says. “But If we had two weeks of solid rain that could change the outcome and the same goes for if we had two weeks of 30-degree plus weather.”

READ MORE: Extreme heat, difficult terrain, hefty backpacks: B.C. wildfire fighting not for faint of heart

Despite August coming to an end this long weekend, Smith says people should still exercise caution as the fall approaches. There are still category two and three burning prohibitions throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre.

“Make sure campfires are within half a metre by half a metre in size and make sure they are fully extinguished before leaving them,” she says, adding people should always have a water bucket and shovel nearby in case a campfire does escape.

“If the coals aren’t completely cold then your campfire isn’t completely out.”

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