Weather patterns in southern B.C. have changed, so the Coastal Fire Centre has lifted the campfire ban, but there hasn’t been enough rain to ease watering restrictions.
The campfire ban was rescinded at noon Aug. 30; however, the ban on fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns, burning barrels or burning cages, and using binary exploding targets remains in place. The ban on Category 2 and Category 3 open burning also continues.
You can find out more at bcwildfire.ca, or by checking with your local fire department.
Meanwhile, Stage 3 watering restrictions are being continued on many parts of the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) system.
SCRD general manager of infrastructure services Bryan Shoji said as of Wednesday there still hadn’t been as much rain as forecasted by Environment Canada. If the area does start getting steady rain, the SCRD will be monitoring the lake levels to see if the restrictions can be relaxed.
Under Stage 3 all outdoor sprinkling is banned. Full details are available at www.scrd.ca.
The tighter restrictions do not apply to users supplied by groundwater sources in Langdale, Soames Point and Granthams Landing or properties in Gibsons that get water from the aquifer (Zones 1 and 2). Those areas remain at Stage 2.
The SCRD’s Stage 3 consumption target is 12 million litres a day or less. Although water use has gone down since the start of Stage 3 on Aug. 26, the latest SCRD figures show it’s still above the target, at about 15 million litres a day.
