Prince George, B.C. – Most Prince George residents have been complying with the fire ban issued Friday prohibiting burning within City limits.

“We’ve had a few calls over the weekend for people having recreational fires in their backyards, but it has been quite effective in that most people are complying,” says Prince George Fire Rescue (PGFR) deputy chief Blake King. “It was due to people just not being aware of the fire ban because it came out so quickly Friday.”

He expects the ban will remain in place until “the weather changes and we get some rainfall.”

Has King seen such a ban during his tenure with the City?

“I’ve been with PGFR for 32 years and in recent times I can’t recall any fire bans due to dry conditions,” he says. “Typically we’ll have a fire ban through the clean air by-law when there’s air quality issues within the City.”

Fire information officer Jill Kelsh with the BC Wildfire Branch adds the fire danger rating within Prince George remains “extreme,” though no fires are burning in the area.

She says all 30 fires in the Prince George Fire Centre are currently burning in northeast B.C.