麻豆社国产

Many of us are willing to give up the pleasure of a summer campfire to prevent wildfires, according to a recent 麻豆社国产 online poll.

The 麻豆社国产 polled 404 readers, asking, "Should there be a campfire ban all season to prevent wildfires?"

The poll ran from May 6 to 24.

About 55% of respondents said yes, while 34% said no. (6% were unsure, 4% chose "other.")

According to the, almost half of all wildfires in B.C. are caused by humans.

As of May 25, there have been 220 wildfires, burning 6,728 hectares of land in B.C. this wildfire season, which starts April 1.

Of those fires, 182 were human-caused, 31 were caused by lightning, and for seven, the cause is not known.

Meaning, so far this season, 83% of all fires have been caused by people.

We have had some close calls with wildfires near town over recent years, including two so far this season.

Thus, it may seem like a no-brainer to just ban open fire all season to stack our odds in favour of not having a wildfire spark and get out of control.

But, according to the BC Wildfire Service, banning fires doesn't always make sense.

"Fire is a very useful tool when used responsibly, so it doesn鈥檛 make sense to ban all forms of burning when the wildfire risk is low," reads the organization's website.

鈥淒uring the spring, farmers and ranchers may conduct controlled burns for agricultural purposes, and the forestry industry conducts 'slash' burning to remove wood debris left behind after timber harvesting. British Columbia is also renowned for its great outdoors, and many enjoy campfires while camping in B.C.鈥檚 parks and recreation sites. Many tourism operators also offer wilderness experiences that include campfires."

The BC Wildfire Service folks are the experts responsible for wildfire management and emergency response. They are the authority, and we should defer to them in times of emergency. (If they say evacuate, don鈥檛 argue about it, in other words.)

But when it comes to banning fires here in the Sea to Sky, many of us have been getting increasingly anxious as we see the onslaught of visitors each weekend ramping up. 

It is like a kinked fire hose; as soon as the kink is uncoiled with the warm weather and school is out for summer, the number of folks in our backcountry swells. 

We learned from a BC Wildfire Service news release last summer that in 2023, vehicle traffic on the 麻豆社国产River Forest Service Road was approximately double what it was in 2012, with more than 120,000 people visiting that area.

We know the value of campfires to our lives, but at least half of us who took the poll also put that personal satisfaction behind a chance to lower our wildfire risk.

We can鈥檛 count on everyone to do the right thing, so we are asking the authorities to ban campfires, at least, before it is too late.