Campfire ban removed thanks to rain

NEWS/ WILDFIRES — All that rain wasn’t all that bad.

While late July and August have been awfully wet, the upside is that effective at 5 p.m. on Thursday, campfires are once again permitted throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre.

The campfire ban was rescinded due to recent precipitation, which has resulted in a decreased wildfire risk in the region.

A small fire across the North Thompson River from Whispering Pines was pounced on by air tankers Thursday evening as some residents watched the action as they barbecued their dinners.

The fire sprung up on the mountainside above the Yellowhead highway shortly before 6 p.m., prompting multiple reports to the firewatch number. A half hour later a spotter plane was overhead getting the lay of the land for the air tankers, which arrived about 7 and began laying down retardant, running at the fire from the south end parallel to the mountain.

By 8 p.m. it had quietened down. The cause isn’t known to The Armchair Mayor News but, judging from its location, it seems likely it was a slumbering lightning-caused blaze.

Here are the campfire rules:

• The campfire must not be bigger than a half-metre wide or a half-metre high.

• Flammable material (such a twigs and pine needles) must be removed from around the campfire area and the fuel-free area must be maintained while the campfire is burning.

• A shovel or at least eight litres of water must be available onsite to properly extinguish the fire.

• A campfire must never be left unattended.

• The ashes must be cool to the touch before you leave the area for any length of time.

Category 2 and 3 open fires remain prohibited throughout the entire Kamloops Fire Centre. That includes any open fire larger than a half-metre high by a half-metre wide, fires requiring a burn registration number, industrial burning, fireworks, sky lanterns and burning barrels of any size and description.