Half a Dozen New Fires in P.G. Fire Centre, Human Caused

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C. - Human carelessness  is being blamed  for  13 of 32 new wildfires started on Thursday.  Nearly half  occured in the   Prince George Fire Centre.

Minister of Forests and Range, Pat Bell says this is  a concern "Even one human-caused fire is too many," said Bell, "We are entering a critical period for wildfire activity in B.C. and fire crews must be available to manage naturally occurring fires caused by
lightning."

Five of the six fire centres responded to human-caused fires Thursday. Six  of these occurred in the Prince George Fire Centre. While most of the fires were contained under one hectare and were not a threat to communities, the largest human-caused fire, near Dall Lake, approximately 140 kilometres east of Dease Lake, grew to 350 hectares.

Warm and dry conditions have caused the wildfire hazard to increase significantly this week. Over 62 per cent of the province's area is currently at a high or extreme fire danger rating, compared to 19 per cent the same time last week.

While many of the specific fire causes have not been determined, five were started by people burning debris. One was caused by a campfire. Even small fires can cause a wildfire, so it is important that people treat all fires, regardless of the size, with care and caution. Always take the proper steps to prevent your fire from escaping.

Since April 1, firefighters have responded to 402 fires around the province.

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