The BC Wildfire Service is sending personnel to Alberta and Ontario to aid in fire response efforts.

Effective at noon on May 15, 2016, Category 2 and Category 3 open fires will be prohibited throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect the public.

Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson is urging all British Columbians to do their part this year to help prevent wildfires and reduce fire risks, including using FireSmart principles to help protect homes and communities.

The BC Wildfire Service responded to a 16-hectare grass fire about four kilometres east of Cawston on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Fourteen firefighters worked to contain the blaze and it is now in the mop-up stage.

 The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations is working with the Lytton First Nation to conduct a prescribed burn about two kilometres north of Lytton.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations is working with the Skeetchestn First Nation to conduct a prescribed burn near Savona in the Kamloops Fire Zone.

The Kamloops Fire Centre may experience an early drying trend this spring, so the BC Wildfire Service is urging the public to be cautious with any open burning activities.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations is planning to conduct five prescribed burns in the Lillooet Fire Zone. These controlled burns are scheduled to start on March 7, 2016, and conclude by April 25, 2016.

BC Parks is planning to conduct an eight-hectare prescribed burn in Monck Provincial Park, northeast of Merritt, in an effort to restore the area’s ecosystem and reduce wildfire risks.

The public is advised that Jamieson Creek Forest Service Road (FSR) will be periodically closed between 4.0 km and 9.0 km, for periods of up to two hours, beginning Monday, Feb. 29, 2016, and ending March 18, 2016.