The wildfire season has been mild so far in coastal British Columbia but dry conditions could mean trouble this long weekend.
There are currently 92 active wildfires burning in B.C. and 14 have been extinguished in the past 24 hours.
A 2,500 sq. metre wildfire was reported southwest of Shawnigan Lake on Tuesday afternoon. The Coastal Wildfire Centre says that it was likely human caused and it is currently being held by crews.
C-FAX 1070's Steve Young spoke with Langford Fire chief Chris Aubrey on Wednesday morning about preventing more wildfires from starting over the Canada Day long weekend.
Aubrey says that Greater Victoria is still "moderate" in the provincial wildfire rating system, but suspects a few more days of warm and dry weather could elevate that rating to "high". The Sooke hills and water shed area are currently rated "high", as are areas of the Cowichan Valley and Nanaimo.
There is currently no campfire ban in place across B.C., but Aubrey says that people who do go camping this weekend should be aware of municipal firebans that may be in place. Aubrey says that if folks do have a campfire this weekend it is important to do it safely. To reduce the risk of a campfire becoming a wildfire, campers should make sure the size of the fire remains under control and that they extinguish the fire completely by pouring water over top until hissing sounds stops.
There will be a number of fireworks displays on Canada Day in Vancouver Island communities, but they should be left to the professionals according to Aubrey. Anyone planning to use fireworks in the capital region needs express permission from their local fire chief.
The Langford Fire chief also pointed to barbeques as a common cause of fire starts. Before firing up the grill this weekend make sure it is far away from any combustibles and that any gas connections are secure.
Listen to Langford Fire chief Chris Aubrey's full interview here: