Prince George Fire Centre personnel have responded to 20 new fires in the past 48 hours, 15 of which were caused by lightning.

Prince George Fire Centre staff responded to nine new wildfires over the weekend, all of which are suspected to be human-caused.

The Province of British Columbia is investing $10,000 to help host an international bioenergy conference beginning in Prince George tomorrow.

Effective at noon on May 30, 2014, campfires and open fires will once again be permitted throughout the Prince George Fire Centre's jurisdiction, due to a decreased risk of wildfires.

The Prince George Fire Centre has responded to nine suspicious fires in the past two weeks, all within the Fort St. John Fire Zone near Halfway River and Graham River.

With the long weekend approaching, members of the public are advised that the following rules under the Forest and Range Practices Act are in place for Buckhorn Lake, Ste. Marie Lake, Ste. Marie Lake-East, Francis Lake, Chubb Lake and Great Beaver Lake Recreation Sites:

Members of the public are reminded that Crystal Lake and Emerald Lake recreation sites, north of Summit Lake off Highway 97, will be closed to vehicle traffic May 17-19, 2014.

Due to dry conditions and increasing wildfire risks, Category 2 open fires (e.g., backyard burning) and fireworks use will be prohibited in the Fort St. John and Dawson Creek fire zones effective at 12 midnight MST on Monday, May 12, 2014.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations plans to conduct a series of prescribed burns in 19 Peace Region locations between May 8 and June 7, 2014, weather conditions permitting.

The Wildfire Management Branch has responded to seven new wildfires in the Prince George Fire Centre over the past 24 hours. It's suspected that all of these fires were caused by people.