Prince George, BC – Hot and dry weather over the past week has prompted the BC Wildfire Management Branch to place a ban on certain open fires in the Fort St John and Dawson Creek fire zones, due to an increasing risk of wildfires.

The ban on Category 2 open fires goes into effect as of midnight, Monday, May 12th.  It does not effect campfires as long as they are kept to a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, but does prohibit:

• the burning of any material (piled or unpiled) smaller than two metres in height and three metres in width, including burning barrels
• fireworks
• stubble or grass fires over an area less than 2,000 square metres

The ban will remain in place now until the end of October.

With low humidity and high temperatures expected to continue throughout the region, anyone working outdoors is being reminded to be extremely vigilant when operating equipment.