Williams Lake, B.C.- The wildfire season is well underway in the Cariboo Fire Centre.

Since April 1, the Wildfire Management Branch has responded to 24 wildfires  in the Cariboo Fire Centre,  and each one of the fires was  preventable as  they were all caused by humans.The fires have burned about 500 hectares.

There is a ban on category 3 open burning in the area, and that means there can be no fires that burn:

• Material concurrently in three or more piles, each not exceeding two metres in height and three metres in width; or
• Material in one or more piles, each exceeding two metres in height or three metres in width; or
• One or more windrows; or
• Stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 hectares (more than 2,000 square metres).

The Wildfire Management Branch is urging anyone who wants to do any Category 2 open burning to use caution and consider the weather conditions before lighting any fire. Even though the spring may seem like a safe time to burn, there can be significant fire risks at this time of the year. Moisture is present in the soil, but springtime temperatures have been mild in the Cariboo Fire Centre and the forest vegetation is generally very dry. Fires can spread very rapidly, especially when driven by wind.