Going into the long weekend, open fire are no longer allowed in the southern and western area of the Prince George Fire Centre.
The ban is effective as of noon today and will be in place until Sept. 15, or until otherwise notified, due to a high to extreme fire danger rating.
The area encompasses Prince George and stretches east to through the Robson Valley to Valemount and west through Fort St. James and Fraser Lake.
Prohibited activities include:
n The burning of any waste, slash or other materials.
n Stubble or grass fires of any size over any area.
n The use of fireworks or burning barrels of any size or description.
n The use of tiki torches.
Campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller are still allowed, as are cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes.
The ban covers all B.C. parks, Crown and private lands, but doesn't apply within the boundaries of local governments that have forest fire prevention bylaws and are serviced by a fire department.
According to the Prince George Fire Centre, human activity has caused more than half of the 142 fires in the region since April 1.
Anyone found in contravention of the open fire ban may be issued a ticket for $345 or, if convicted in court, be fined up to $100,000 and sentenced to one year in jail.
To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on a cellphone.
