A fire ban will soon be lifted for the district of Sooke
The ban, issued May 31, ends Saturday (Sept. 30). Open burning will be allowed beginning Sunday (Oct. 1), according to a Sooke Fire Rescue statement on Facebook.
Officials are reminding people to carefully monitor their fires. Details of of the open burning bylaw can be found here.
If you have any questions regarding whether you are able to burn, please call 250-642-5422. For permit required burns, please contact the fire station.
The Sooke Fire ban twins the Coastal Fire Centre’s decision to rescind open burn prohibitions on the Island, beginning noon on Friday.
The current climate conditions have reduced wildfire risks in the region to the extent that Category 2 open fires and Category 3 open fires will be permitted, as well as the use of tiki torches, burn barrels, fireworks, sky lanterns and binary exploding targets, Coastal Fire Centre spokesperson Marg Drysdale said in a news release.
Previously, the campfire ban that had been in place in the Coastal Fire Centre for the summer was lifted on Sept. 18.
Residents are cautioned that local governments may still have their own burning restrictions in place, so people should always check with local authorities before lighting any fire of any size. Anyone lighting a Category 3 fire must first obtain a burn registration number by calling 1-888-797-1717. A Category 3 fire is a fire that burns material more than two metres high or three metres wide, stubble or grass over more than 2,000 square metres, or more than two piles of any size.
A poster explaining the different categories of open fires is available online at: ow.ly/jdO5301kS32.
editor@sookenewsmirror.com
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