With much of British Columbia under a heat warning and experiencing high or extreme wildfire risks, the B.C. government is urging travellers and residents to be extremely cautious over the B.C. Day long weekend.
"This year's fire season is turning into one of the most challenging on record," said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. "We all must do our part to reduce wildfire risks. I urge everyone to remain vigilant, be cautious and stay informed about wildfire activity in their area."
Category 2 and Category 3 open fires are prohibited throughout British Columbia. Campfire bans are in effect for most of the province.
People intending to travel anywhere in the province should first check for road closures, evacuation alerts, evacuation orders and other prohibitions, such as BC Parks closures. They should not travel to areas that are subject to evacuation alerts or evacuation orders.
Although the fire danger rating (i.e., the risk of a wildfire starting) is currently "low" or "very low" in some parts of the province, people must still exercise extreme caution to ensure their activities do not spark a new fire.