A little bit of weekend rain will likely do nothing to change Delta’s fire danger rating.
Deputy Chief Michel Latendresse says the fire rating continues to be at extreme in the community.
“We had a trace of rain overnight Thursday, but it was not substantial enough to change things,” he said. “We are hopeful that the system that comes in on Saturday might lower the fire rating, but people have to remain diligent.”
He says conditions continue to be very dry throughout the community.
“We encourage people to use caution when enjoying our outdoor park space. Be aware of any sources of possible ignition,” he said. “No backyard fires, no open flame. Cooking is allowed only with propone or briquette barbecues. No smoking as well in any of our parks.”
In the past week, Delta Fire has responded to several grass fires including one late Wednesday afternoon that forced a temporary closure of Highway 17 near Deltaport.
“All of them were quickly identified, responded to and mitigated,” he said. “It’s great to have the community so vigilant. We are taking any reports from the public very seriously.”
He said in the case of the grass fire near Highway 17 on Wednesday, the highway was temporally closed out of an abundance of safety to the public.
“There was a thick cloud of smoke which came across the highway, so we notified Port of Vancouver, Highways etc., to make sure everyone was in the loop,” he said. “We are hopeful that we can lower the fire danger rating after some rain on Saturday, but that still does not mean we can let up. People have to remain diligent and be cautious out there.”
