By Pete McIntyre

Open burning not permitted in Okanagan until April 15

Mar 26, 2020 | 1:41 PM

Open burning won’t be allowed in the Okanagan — and other areas of B.C. — for the next few weeks.

B.C.’s Ministry of Environment, in cooperation with provincial public health partners, has issued an open burning restriction for all high sensitivity zones across the province, which includes the North and Central Okanagan.

The ministry said the measures are being taken to reduce excess air pollution in populated airsheds to reduce the chances of getting respiratory viral infections [such as COVID-19] by decreasing immune function.

No new fires may be initiated and no additional material may be added.

“Evidence suggests that air pollution from combustion sources is most strongly associated with increased risk of viral infection, particularly vehicle emissions and biomass burning,” said Dan Bings from the ministry.

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“At this time the BC Centre for Disease Control strongly recommends that open burning of biomass fuels be restricted in areas with high or moderate risk of population exposure to the resulting smoke,” said Bings.

“While the focus should remain on social distancing to prevent the spread of infection and reduce the number of cases, keeping our air as clean as possible will also help to protect the population during this difficult period.”

Real-time air quality observations and information regarding the health effects of air pollution can be found here.

by Pete McIntyre

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