Langley Township firefighters are dealing with an increase in brush fires and grass fires again thanks to the summer heat wave of recent weeks.
“We have had a few brush fires,” said deputy fire chief Bruce Ferguson.
Fortunately, none of them have been major fires, he said. These types of fires are increasingly typical of the hot, dry weather during the summer.
The fires have been sparked in road medians, in bark mulch, and in garbage.
“We need to get people to be more cognizant with their smoking materials,” Ferguson said.
Many of the fires are still caused by people tossing butts from moving cars.
Meanwhile, Metro Vancouver has listed the fire danger as “extreme” in some local parks.
Aldergrove, Brae Island, and Campbell Valley Regional Parks are all considered at extreme fire risk.
“Continued dry weather has resulted in conditions that are tinder dry and extremely sensitive to sparks and fire,” said the Metro Vancouver Parks website.
Campfires and briquette barbecues and cooking stoves are banned in those parks, and propane/gas barbecues are allowed only in day use areas with picnic tables. Smoking is banned throughout the parks.
The heat wave is expected to end this week, with temperatures in the 20s by Wednesday, with rain possible on Friday and into next week.