Two new fire starts were discovered last night, one just south of Taylor which required airtanker action to protect a structure. The fire reached 6.5 hectares in size. The second fire occurred at the junction of Halfway River and the Peace River. This fire reached 18 hectares in size. Both fires are under control and currently in mop-up.

Conditions this week have remained dry, and with minimal precipitation expected for the weekend, residents should exercise extreme caution when engaging in spring grass burning activities. The Prince George Fire Centre’s response to human-caused fires has already doubled since this time last year.

Escaped grass fires are the most common form of unnecessary, human-caused fires at this time of year. This season, the province has responded to 247 person-caused fires, which have burned more than 5253 hectares of forests and grass land. These fires can be easily prevented ifproper burning precautions are followed.

In British Columbia, the Wildfire Act specifies a person’s legal obligations when using fire on, or within one kilometre of, forest land or grassland. If a grass fire does escape, a person may be responsible for fire suppression costs.