Alberni Valley Open Burning Ban Now In Effect
March 30, 2020 - The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has issued open burning restrictions for all High Smoke Sensitivity Zones across the province. This provincial ban applies to the the Alberni Valley and it includes a total outdoor burning ban effective at 12:00 pm noon on March 30, 2020. No new fires may be initiated, and no new material may be added to existing fires after this time. Issuance of burning permits is suspended until this ban is lifted.
As cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in BC continue to increase, the BC Centre for Disease Control recommends implementing measures that help to reduce excess air pollution in populated airsheds across the province. There is strong evidence that exposure to air pollution increases susceptibility to respiratory viral infections by decreasing immune function. This means that:
- Deterioration in air quality may lead to more COVID-19 infections overall,
- Deterioration in air quality may lead to more cases of severe COVID-19 infections, adding further demand to our healthcare system, and
- Improvements to air quality may help to protect the whole population from COVID-19 and its potentially severe effects.
These open burning restrictions will remain in place until Wednesday, April 15th 2020.
Issuance of burning permits is suspended until this ban is lifted.
For further information, please visit the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change website at:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/air/air-quality/air-advisories
To view an interactive ventilation index map, visit:
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