In order to help protect public safety and allow fire suppression efforts to continue safely and efficiently, area restrictions have been expanded around several fires in the Cariboo Fire Centre.

In the interest of public safety, the Regional District of East Kootenay has implemented a partial evacuation order for the Moyie Lake area and an evacuation alert for the St. Mary’s River area effective immediately Sept. 1, 2017.

At noon on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, an area restriction for Crown land in the vicinity of the Diamond Creek wildfire came into effect.

With weather conditions expected to remain warm and dry, water users in the Lower Fraser region are being urged to reduce water consumption.

Responding to continuing warm and dry conditions, the Province has announced a Level 4 drought rating for the Similkameen, Nicola, and Salmon River watersheds, while a Level 3 drought rating has been set for the Okanagan watershed.

With weather conditions expected to remain warm and dry in the coming week, dropping water levels have prompted the Province to announce a Level 3 drought rating for Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

In the interest of public safety, effective at noon Pacific Time on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017, all Crown land within the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District is closed to public access due to the extreme fire danger rating, the number of unprecedented aggressive wildfires throughout the region and moderate winds forecasted over the next few days.

In the interest of public safety, the Regional District of Central Kootenay has implemented an evacuation alert for the Harrop, Procter, Sunshine Bay and Kootenay Lake Village, effective immediately on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017.

Summer is gradually coming to a close, but the wildfire risk in many parts of the province remains a very serious concern. British Columbians are urged to exercise caution and remain vigilant to help prevent human-caused wildfires.

In the interest of public safety, the Regional District of East Kootenay has implemented an evacuation alert for the Moyie Lake area, effective at 8 a.m. on Aug. 31, 2017.