The City of Richmond closed on Tuesday evening the Shell Road and Horseshoe Slough Trails due to them being a fire hazard.
Earlier in the week, the city closed the Nature Park East and West trails, as the current heatwave shows no signs of abating across B.C.
Most of the city’s other trails are gravel-based, so they remain open to date with “No Smoking” signs at entrances.
Future trail closures may come if the hot, dry weather continues, according to the city.
On Friday, the city responded to the sustained heatwave by changing the city’s fire-risk rating to “extreme.”
But that hasn’t deterred cigarette smokers from continuing to litter their butts in public, putting Richmond Fire Rescue to task.
On Saturday, the department was busy again on No. 3 Road near Dyke Road as yet another brush fire was started.
“Probably another cigarette butt,” said one firefighter unravelling the hose along the road. He added he's been to "several" calls over the past week.
On Friday evening the city issued a statement reminding residents that open air burning is prohibited in Richmond, as it always has been.
“Any open burning of wood, brush, foliage, and building materials is strictly prohibited, unless approved through a permit process,” stated Kevin Gray, Richmond Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief.
Fires are only permitted within a natural gas, charcoal or propane cooking device, and fuelled outdoor heaters or fireplaces, he said.
Gray noted that since May 1 the department has responded to 200 outdoor fires. Fifty per cent of these fires are suspected to be from discarded cigarettes and involved grass or bark mulch.
Since April 1 Richmond has seen just 67 millimetres of rain fall when normally it would have received 206 millimetres. May and June were some of the driest months on record for Vancouver International Airport.
Temperatures are again expected to top the 30-degrees mark in Richmond this weekend and neighbouring municipalities, such as Delta, have already changed their fire rating to extreme, as well.
Also, wildfires are raging across northern and central areas of the province and several other Lower Mainland cities are dealing with human-caused brush fires.
Meanwhile. Metro Vancouver says, due to ongoing unseasonably hot and dry conditions, 'Stage 2' water restrictions are being brought in across the region for the first time since 2003.
Effective Friday, homes with even numbered addresses can sprinkle their lawns Mondays from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. and odd numbered addresses from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. Thursdays.
According to Gray the public can assist in preventing fires by exercising extra caution, and following these helpful tips:
· Do not discard smoking materials from vehicles…use vehicle interior ashtrays
· Do not dispose of butts in flower beds or bark mulch beds
· Use large, deep, non-tip ashtrays to prevent ashes from falling onto combustible materials
· Allow lawn and farm equipment to cool before storing away
· Exercise caution with All-Terrain Vehicles(ATV’s) which produce a tremendous amount of heat and can ignite brush from their exhaust system
· Be aware of all spark and fire sources
· Propane or compressed gas powered barbecues are permitted using approved devices
· Campfires and briquette barbecues are prohibited everywhere
· Be cautious around fire in windy conditions
· Report all fires to 911
