Open burn permits cancelled in Electoral Areas B and C

All open burning permits issued by the Regional District of North Okanagan for the fire protection areas of Electoral Areas B (Swan Lake) and C (BX / Silver Star) are cancelled from March 31 to April 15.

After April 15, the RDNO will revisit this issue and provide an update.

“Open burning permits are not required for small confined fires (campfires) that are under half a metre in diameter, but we encourage people to reduce their backyard fires as even small fires add to air pollution,” said an RDNO news release.

The RDNO does not regulate burning outside of the fire protection areas of Electoral Areas B and C, or in Electoral Areas D, E, and F. However, these areas still must comply with the provincial restrictions.

“We made the decision to cancel the open burn permits to follow the recommendations of the BC Centre for Disease Control,” said Bob Fleming, Electoral Area B Director.

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“It is important for us to take science-based actions that benefit the health of our community, and especially so during a global pandemic,” said Amanda Shatzko, Electoral Area C Director. “Remember, we are all in this together.”

According to the BC Centre for Disease Control:

As cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in BC continue to increase, the BC Centre for Disease Control recommends implementing measures that help to reduce excess air pollution. There is strong evidence that exposure to air pollution increases susceptibility to respiratory viral infections by decreasing immune function. This means that:

· Deterioration in air quality may lead to more COVID-19 infections overall,

· Deterioration in air quality may lead to more cases of severe COVID-19 infections, adding further demand to our healthcare system, and

· Improvements to air quality may help to protect the whole population from COVID-19 and its potentially severe effects.

Source: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/air-land-water/air/advisories/2020-03-26_hssz_open_burning_restrictions_issued.pdf