Effective at noon on Monday, Aug. 31, campfires are once again permitted throughout the Southeast Fire Centre’s jurisdiction.

The Southeast Fire Centre is asking hunters to stay away from areas with active wildfires. Hunting season begins on Sept. 1, and hunting in the vicinity of a wildfire could put the safety of firefighters at risk.

BC Wildfire Service representatives and Regional District of Kootenay Boundary officials will host two public meetings tonight to update residents of Grand Fork and Christina Lake about the Stickpin wildfire in Washington State.

Due to a fire on the Paulson Pass, Highway 3 is now closed to traffic between Christina Lake and Highway 3B until further notice.

The BC Wildfire Service has been responding to 88 new wildfires in the Southeast Fire Centre since Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015. A total of 499 wildfires have occurred in the region since April 1, 2015.

The Southeast Fire Centre has responded to 46 new fires since Thursday, almost all of which are believed to be lightning-caused.

As part of the Province’s work to make sure British Columbians have access to high-quality primary care, 14 internationally-trained physicians will begin practicing in rural and remote communities in B.C. this month, including a new family doctor in Castlegar.

Smoke from the Sitkum Creek wildfire on the north shore of Kootenay Lake will continue to be visible in nearby areas, as combustible material within the fire’s perimeter continues to burn.

Much of the smoke that’s currently visible in parts of the Southeast Fire Centre is not coming from wildfires in B.C., but instead emanating from fires in Oregon, California and Washington.

Parts of southeast British Columbia have received varying amounts of rainfall over the past week, but the campfire ban that’s been in place since July 3 throughout the Southeast Fire Centre’s jurisdiction will remain in place until the public is otherwise notified.