Concerned citizen creates petition asking BCWS to implement an immediate fire ban

A petition created on, and promoted by, Change.org is asking the BC Wildfire Service to instate a full fire ban immediately.

With human-caused #BCWildfires already prompting evacuation orders so early in the season, petition starter Cambria is asking the provincial government to put a full fire ban into effect immediately. #cdnpoli #BCpoli https://t.co/Qxo7rhTKZN

— Change.org Canada (@CdnChange) May 19, 2019

Led by Cambria Volonte, the petition is urging the provincial wildfire service to “put into effect immediately a FULL FIRE BAN” (original capitalization).

Volonte says it is the right of BC citizens to protect their homes, families, livelihoods, forest and environment, citing the recent human-caused wildfires as reason to instate the ban.

“It is not even the middle of May and we have HUMAN caused fires causing evacuations, devastating the land and polluting our air,” the petition reads (original capitalization).

“Let's protect our BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA and KEEP IT GREEN” (original capitalization).

In the current year, 94.6% of fires have been human-caused (totalling 174) with 80% of the current active fires being human caused (28).

Of the six fire centres in BC, the Prince George fire centre and the Cariboo fire centre have restrictions on open fires, but otherwise open fires are permitted in all other fire centres.

Campfires are also permitted and forest use is unrestricted in all six fire centres.

For more information on fire bans and restrictions in BC, click here.