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Open fires permitted in some areas of Northwest Fire Centre

Prohibitions remain in effect in the Nadina Fire Zone.
Open fires permitted in some areas of Northwest Fire Centre
With only one wildfire in the Nadina Fire Zone

With the onset of cool and wet weather over the last couple of weeks, open fire bans were lifted in some areas of the Northwest Fire Centre.

Effective at noon on Aug. 4, 2015, the following activities were once again allowed in the Bulkley Fire Zone, Skeena Fire Zone and Cassiar Fire Zone:

- The burning of waste or other materials in piles;

- The burning of stubble or grass;

- The use of fireworks and firecrackers.

All of these activities will continue to be prohibited in the Nadina Fire Zone until Sept. 30, 2015, or until the public is otherwise notified.

A map of the affected areas is available online at http://bit.ly/1VRTLLB

On Aug. 9, 2015, the fire danger rating in the Burns Lake area dropped to “very low,” which means that there was a very low risk of wildfires.

However, a drying trend and a return to seasonal temperatures are forecast for the southern sections of the Northwest Fire Centre, including the Nadina Fire Zone. “This could result in an increase in fire danger rating for the area,” said Olivia Pojar, Fire Information Officer for the Northwest Fire Centre.

There is currently one active wildfire in the Nadina Fire Zone - the Whitesail Lake fire. First reported on July 6, 2015, this wildfire has burned over 437 hectares within Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park, in the Quanchus Mountains area. The Whitesail Lake fire has been classified as a “modifying response fire,” which means the fire is considered beneficial and is not fully suppressed. According to Pojar, the Whitesail Lake fire has shown no significant growth or activity in the past two weeks.

The public is reminded to not light a fire during windy conditions and to ensure that all fires are completely extinguished and the ashes are cold to the touch before leaving the area for any length of time.