Almost 20 forest fires sparked up in the northeastern region of the province over the weekend and all of them were caused by humans.
According to Jillian Chimko of the Prince George Fire Centre, 18 fires got their start. Twelve of them were in the Peace-region of the fire centre's activity area.
"One fire reached 140 hectares in size and requiring airtanker assistance," said Chimko. "Currently three fires have been put out, eight are in patrol or mop up, and seven are currently being fought by BC Forest Service personnel."
The Prince George Fire Centre's jurisdiction is large, so the conditions vary greatly from place to place. The Peace is considered "extremely volatile as any ignition source could start a fire" while most of the rest of the footprint is low to moderate.
"Most of the fire starts occurred because of unsafe burning conditions," Chimko added. "If you plan on burning, make sure you check the weather forecast for the day before you start your fire," and also check on regulations with your local government before igniting any fire.
There are currently no open burning restrictions within the Prince George Fire Centre's jurisdiction. Yet, the public is urged to be extremely cautious when using fire outdoors.
Check http://bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNews/Bans.asp for the latest on burning restrictions.
Since April 1, fire crews have responded to 45 wildfires in the Prince George Fire Centre, with a provincial total of 146 wildfires.
To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call *5555 on your cell phone or 1 800 663-5555.
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