Salt Spring Island and the Gulf Islands as well as Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland have all as of this afternoon been raised to both Fire Danger Class 4 and Drought Level 4. Level 4 is the highest level in the warning scale. No camp fires, no burning and please limit water consumption as appropriate.
What the Danger Class Ratings mean:
| Low | Fires may start easily and spread quickly but there will be minimal involvement of deeper fuel layers or larger fuels. |
| Moderate | Forest fuels are drying and there is an increased risk of surface fires starting. Carry out any forest activities with caution. |
| High | Forest fuels are very dry and the fire risk is serious. New fires may start easily, burn vigorously, and challenge fire suppression efforts. Extreme caution must be used in any forest activities. Open burning and industrial activities may be restricted. |
| Extreme | Extremely dry forest fuels and the fire risk is very serious. New fires will start easily, spread rapidly, and challenge fire suppression efforts. General forest activities may be restricted, including open burning, industrial activities and campfires. |
This Danger Class map is intended for general public information only. For regulated forest operations, the Danger Class value must be derived from weather data representative of the site on which operations are being conducted.
Where discrepancies exist between the colour display on the weather maps and the numerical values posted for the weather stations, the posted numerical values shall take precedence for the purpose of implementing the Wildfire Regulation.
Drought Level 4
North Salt Spring Waterworks District is at Water Conservation Level 4 Per Bylaw 268
- This is in response to the Province’s declaration of a Level 4 Drought for the Southern Gulf Islands. Water Conservation
- Level 4 is a Comprehensive Water Ban.
- All outdoor sprinkler watering is prohibited including newly seeded and sodded lawns.
- Vegetable gardens, shrubs, trees and flowers are restricted to a hand held container or a hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle system between the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and for no more than one (1) hour total in duration per watering day. A micro-irrigation or drip-irrigation system may be used by odd numbered civic addresses on odd numbered days and even numbered civic addresses on even numbered days for a maximum of 1 hour per watering day during the specified watering times.
- All other watering is banned, including vehicle washing.
