VOLUNTEERS TO ‘BLITZ’ MERRITT WEDNESDAY TO LOCK OUT AUTO CRIME SEE PAGE 4 merrittherald.com
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MERRITT HERALD FREE
TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2012 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
Local campfire ban in effect Merritt fire danger rating currently at “high,” area fires aggressive By Phillip Woolgar THE HERALD
reporter@merrittherald.com
Campers are going to have to be more creative in the way they cook their food and warm their toes. Campfires in the Nicola Valley and throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre — with the exception of the Clearwater Fire Zone — were banned as of noon Friday. “This step is being taken to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety,” said Micheala Swan, fire information officer, in a release. “The fire danger rating is currently ‘high’ throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre, with scattered pockets of ‘extreme.’” The rating in Merritt is “high.” Wildfires in the area have been extremely aggressive and require extra fire suppression resources due to the warm and dry air. Many of the fires have been human caused and use up critical resources
CROWNING MOMENT Merritt’s Sarah Simon passes her crown on to the newest B.C. Ambassador, Mariah Morris from Castlegar. The annual B.C. Ambassador competition was held at the Merritt Civic Centre on Friday and Saturday. Morris, along with Kamloops’ Acacia Schmietenknop and Trail’s Carley Henniger, was chosen from a group of 12 candidates representing B.C. communities. Phillip Woolgar/Herald
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for their management, say fire centre representatives. Swan also noted that open burning is prohibited in the Kamloops Fire Centre. This includes open fires at any size, industrial burning, fires with a burn registration number, tiki torches, fireworks and burning barrels. Gas- propane- and briquette-burning cooking stoves are exempt from the ban. Portable campfire apparatus with a ULC or CSA rating that use liquid or gasoline fuel, or briquettes, are allowed if the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres. All BC Parks are included in the ban, as well as Crown and private lands. However, the ban doesn’t apply to local government boundaries that have forest fire prevention bylaws, and which are serviced by a fire department. Anyone who wants to light a fire in these areas is asked to check with the municipal government. Those who are found violating the prohibition are subject to a $345 fine. People suspected of arson can be fined up to $1 million. They could also be sentenced to a three-year stay in prison. Payment for firefighting costs may also be required. The Fire Centre will inform people when the ban is over.
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