With the summer weather just around the corner, Fraser Health wants to help get people prepared for the upcoming wildfire season by hosting a series of heat and wildfire smoke safety presentations throughout the Lower Mainland.
This travelling seminar will stop at various library locations, including the Maple Ridge Public Library on May 7.
Over the course of an hour, Fraser Health workers will educate people on how extreme heat and wildfire smoke can negatively impact a person’s health and what can be done to help them stay safe during these conditions.
Available resources will also be shared that will come in handy when dealing with the wildfire season, which typically begins in spring and continues through summer and into fall.
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Neal McLoughlin, superintendent of predictive services for BC Wildfire Service, explained that much of how this wildfire season will go depends on the amount of rainfall the province gets in May and June, which he said are typically the wettest months, especially for the B.C. Interior.
“I think we can all expect that spring is going to be busier than normal and an active spring fire season, but the remainder of the season is still yet to be determined,” said McLoughlin.
“What BC Wildfire Service is most concerned about is holdover fires that are occurring along the edges of last year’s fire perimeters. Those holdover fires could definitely ignite unburnt fuels and spread beyond the boundaries of last year.”
While significant rainfall could reduce the threats associated with wildfires this year, McLoughlin said that current reports from meteorologists are doubtful that sufficient rainfall will occur by the end of June.
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Anyone wanting to be better prepared for the upcoming wildfires can attend the heat and wildfire smoke safety presentation which will take place at the Maple Ridge Public Library on Tuesday, May 7, from 1 to 2 p.m.