Residents of the southern portion of the Strathcona Regional District Electoral Area D will be affected by fire restrictions that take effect on April 1.
On March 24, the Comox Valley Regional District announced their plans to implement an open burning ban and campfire ban effective April 1. The entire district will be under the open burning ban, and specific areas will be under a campfire ban. The Oyster Bay Fire Protection area is part of the ban, and that area extends to the southern portion of the SRD’s electoral area.
The ban was put in place as part of the CVRD Emergency Operations Centre plan to stop the spread of COVID-19.
“One of the reasons our fire departments have taken this coordinated approach is to support our region’s air quality. As a community, it’s also vital that we support our first responders. Banning open burning will limit the need for site visits and inspections, and reduce the potential for wildfires,” said CVRD board chair Jesse Ketler in a press release.
“Let’s protect our firefighters so they in turn can help us when we truly need it,” Ketler added.
The Oyster Bay Fire Protection Area will allow recreational backyard fires and campfires under the current ban.
The affected area extends from the Oyster River north to Iron River Road, with some properties along York Road included. Other parts of the Electoral area are either under the Campbell River Fire Protective Services Area or the provincial government’s Wildfire protection area. The provincial government and City of Campbell River have not announced burning bans as of March 26.
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marc.kitteringham@campbellrivermirror.com
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