Be careful: It may be cooler but conditions are still ripe for a wildfire

Although cooler temperatures are expected over the Labour Day long weekend, the Southeast Fire Centre is urging the public to continue to be cautious with their campfire use.

In a statement it said firefighters have responded to 166 fires since April 1, of which 121 were caused by lightning and 45 were caused by people.

Despite the cooler temperatures, a fire risk still remains in some areas of the Southeast Fire Centre, especially the Boundary and east Kootenay regions.

The public is reminded that Category 2 and Category 3 open burning and fireworks use are currently prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre.  Checkhttp://bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNews/Bans.asp for the latest news on burning restrictions.

The fire danger rating is moderate to high throughout most of the centre, with pockets of “extreme” in the Boundary, Invermere and Cranbrook zones.

For information on current fires of note in B.C., go to www.bcwildfire.ca. To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, please call *5555 on your cell phone or 1-800-663-5555 toll-free.

For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to http://bcwildfire.ca.

You can follow the latest B.C. wildfire news:

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
On Facebook: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo