Kamloops Fire Centre As of September 26, 2012, the Kamloops Fire Centre

has responded to 420 wildfires that have consumed

1,464 hectares since April 1, 2012. This is below the

10-year average for this date of 531 wildfires burning

a total of 19,845 hectares.

As we enter the fall season, forest conditions remain

extremely dry with very little precipitation in the cur-

rent weather forecast. Over 70 per cent of the Kam-

loops Fire Centre remains in a “high” to “extreme”

fire danger rating.

Due to these conditions, open fire prohibitions re-

main in place through the majority of the fire centre

area. These prohibitions are being monitored closely

and may be extended if significant precipitation is

not received to reduce the threat of a wildfire.

Over the last week, Wildfire Management Branch

personnel have responded to 20 new wildfires. The

majority of these were caused by people and are

therefore preventable. We ask the public and our

industry partners to remain vigilant in the backcoun-

try. A few recent grass fires grew to 25 and 40 hec-

tares in size with very minimal wind. This is a sign of

how volatile the fine fuels remain.

For the latest information on fire activity, current

prohibitions and conditions, visit the Wildfire

Management Branch website at www.bcwildfire.ca.

September 26, 2012

Fire Zone # of Fires # of Hectares

Clearwater 29 9

Kamloops 68 61

Salmon Arm 32 1

Vernon 59 152

Penticton 83 334

Merritt 107 653

Lillooet 42 254

Info current as of 08:00 on September 26, 2012

P A G E 2

Current Prohibitions and Restrictions

Open Fires

Campfires

Forest Use

Effective at noon on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012, the open fire prohibition in the Kamloops Fire Centre

was modified to the Clearwater and Salmon Arm fire zones above 1,200 metres.

The open fire prohibition remains in place below 1,200 metres in the Clearwater and Salmon Arm fire

zones, as well as at all elevations in the Kamloops, Vernon, Penticton, Merritt and Lillooet fire zones.

This includes:

The burning of any material larger than a half-metre high by a half-metre wide.

The burning of stubble or grass.

Using fireworks or burning barrels of any size or description.

The public is reminded that campfires cannot be larger than a half-metre high by a half-metre wide.

Anyone who lights a campfire must have a hand tool (such as a shovel) or at least eight litres of water

available nearby to fully extinguish it. Never leave a campfire unattended and make sure the ashes

are completely cold to the touch before leaving the area.

Anyone found in violation of an open fire prohibition may be issued a ticket for up to $345. Anyone

who causes a wildfire through arson or recklessness may be fined up to $1 million, spend up to three

years in prison and be held accountable for associated firefighting costs.

The open fire prohibition covers all BC Parks, Crown, and private lands, but does not apply within the

boundaries of local governments that have forest fire prevention bylaws and are serviced by a fire de-

partment. Please check with local governments for any other restrictions before lighting a fire.

The open fire prohibition will remain in place until the public is notified that it has been rescinded.

P A G E 3

Precipitation

Temperature Relative Humidity

These maps are for informational purposes only and should not be used for operational decisions.

Fire Danger Rating

These maps are current for September 25, 2012

For the most recent weather maps, please see www.bcwildfire.ca/weather

Most recent forecast for KFC

Kamloops

Fire Centre Statistics

Since April 1, 2012:

Fires to date: 420

Hectares burned: 1,464

Person-caused fires: 169

Lightning-caused fires: 251

2011 at this time:

Fires to date: 241

Hectares burned: 241

Person-caused fires: 144

Lightning-caused fires: 77

2009 at this time:

Fires to date: 1,023

Hectares burned: 53,387

Person-caused fires: 264

Lightning-caused fires: 742

2003 at this time:

Fires to date: 745

Hectares burned: 104,407

Person-caused fires: 284

Lightning-caused fires: 460

TODAY:

All zones except northwestern sections of Subsident and North

Thompson Areas. Cloudy periods. Winds variable 10 to 20 km/h.

High temperatures 22 to 26 and RH values dropping to 20 to 30 per-

cent.

Northwest sections of Subsident and North Thompson areas.

Cloudy periods. Winds variable 10 to 20 km/h. High temperatures 16 to

20 and RH values dropping to 30 to 40 per cent.

TONIGHT:

Subsident zones, North Thompson and Monashees: A few clouds.

Winds becoming light and variable overnight. Low temperatures 5 to

10 and RH recoveries to 60 to 75 per cent.

TOMORROW:

All zones except northwestern sections of Subsidence and North

Thompson Areas. Mainly sunny. Winds southwest to southeast 20

with east 20 to 30 km/h in the South Thompson and south 30 gusting

50 km/h in the Fraser Canyon. High temperatures 24 to 28 and RH

values falling to 20 to 30 percent

Northwest sections of Subsidence and North Thompson areas.

Mainly sunny. Winds south 20 km/h. High temperatures 20 to 24 and

RH values dropping to 30 to 40 percent.

3 TO 5-DAYOUTLOOK:

Friday will be mainly sunny with a chance of evening and overnight

showers in the North Thompson. Winds southwest 20 to 30 km/h and

temperatures in the mid twenties. Saturday may see showers in the

North Thompson, otherwise some cloudy periods across the region.

Winds west 20 to 30 km/h and temperatures in the low to mid twenties.

A mix of sun and cloud on Sunday with winds southwest 30 km/h and

temperatures in the low to mid twenties.

Info current as of noon

on September 25, 2012

P A G E 4

Valid as of 0800 Tuesday, September 26, 2012

P A G E 5

As of September 25th, the fire danger rating is 70 per

cent High and Extreme and 30 per cent Moderate

throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre.

We are experiencing an extended period of dry condi-

tions and our weather forecast is still calling for lim-

ited precipitation in the coming days. Although tem-

peratures have cooled slightly since the unseasonably

high temperatures, the forest fuels remain extremely

dry and susceptible to the spread of a wildfire.

Despite this onset of less volatile weather, the forests

remain dry. Three of our key fire weather indices

(explained further on Page 7 and seen on the right of

this page) show that, at various depths, forest fuels

are still extremely dry.

With this in mind, please pay particular attention to

the Fire Danger Rating in your area. Ensure that you

are using the appropriate weather station data for

the area in which you are operating and that you are

adhering to the shutdown formulas in the Wildfire

Regulation.

Remember, if you discover or cause a wildfire, you

have an obligation to report it, take action with avail-

able resources and extinguish it, if practicable.

As always, we thank you for your diligence and co-

operation.

Industry Guidance

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P A G E 6

Kamloops Fire Centre Indices for September 25, 2012

P A G E 7

An explanation of fire weather statistics

The information collected from our weather stations (as seen on the previous page) is used to develop codes

that reflect to how dry the different classes of fuels are in the forest. Using this information, we set prepar-

edness levels (and our Fire Danger Rating) on a daily basis.

The FFMC (Fine Fuel Moisture Code) measures the dryness of fine fuels (grasses, needles, etc.). A number of

85 or higher indicates a good chance of a fire start from an ignition source. Once 90 or higher is reached, all

the fine fuels are available to burn.

The DMC (Duff Moisture Code) measures about 10 cm into the ground and is an indication of whether a fire

that starts will continue to burn in the duff. A number of 40 or greater would indicate that a fire will con-

tinue to burn.

The DC (Drought Code), measures deeper in the ground. A number of 300 or greater indicates that the fire

will burn deep into the ground, providing challenges to mop up the fire.

The BUI (Build-Up Index) is a numerical rating of the total amount of fuel available for combustion, using the

DC and DMC figures.

The Danger Class is the typical Fire Danger Rating that is seen on fire signage. The numbers 1 and 2 repre-

sent “Low”, 3 is “Moderate”, 4 is “High” and 5 is “Extreme”. A map of the current Fire Danger Ratings is on

Page 3. If you have any questions about which station you should be monitoring, please contact your com-

pany forester or local fire zone for more information.

Industry and Stakeholder Online Resources

For information about high-risk activity

restrictions, details about the Wildfire Act and

Regulations, prescribed fire guidelines and

information for contract crews, aircraft and

equipment suppliers, please visit the link below.

http://www.bcwildfire.ca/

Industry_Stakeholders/

Contacts for Kamloops Fire Information We would like to provide our readers with the most current contact information for getting in touch with us.

Michaela Swan

Fire Information Officer

Office: 250 554-5532

E-mail: Michaela.Swan@gov.bc.ca

Report a wildfire *5555 on a cell or 1-800-663-5555

Wildfire Information Line 1-888-3FOREST

Burn Registration Line 1-888-797-1717

Kamloops Fire Information Officer 1-250-554-5532

Important Numbers

For more information, visit our website at bcwildfire.ca

Black Knight Mountain wildfire

P A G E 8

Kevin Skrepnek

Fire Information Officer

Office: 250 554-5964

E-mail: Kevin.Skrepnek@gov.bc.ca

Black Knight Mountain fire on September 21, 2012, east of Kelowna.