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.

It is suspected that these fires were deliberately set and Wildfire Management Branch staff are working with the RCMP to investigate the cause of each blaze. These types of fires put fire crews, local residents, natural resources and property at risk. They also unnecessarily add to the workload of Wildfire Management Branch personnel and fire crews.

Members of the public can report suspicious fire activity by using the principle of “observe, record, report”. If they observe suspicious behaviour, they should record details about the incident and report them to the RCMP as soon as possible, including:

• a physical description of the person(s) involved
• a description of any vehicles in the immediate area, including license plate numbers
• the date and time of the incident

Crimes can be reported anonymously to Crime Stoppers at www.bccrimestoppers.com or by calling 1 800 222-TIPS (8477). If a tip results in an arrest and charge, the caller could receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.

The Prince George Fire Centre has responded to 11 fires in the past week. All of these fires are now either extinguished or contained. The largest is 150 hectares and is north of the Halfway River in the Fort St. John Fire Zone.

Anyone lighting a campfire or burning waste piles must remain vigilant. Burning should only be done away from overhanging branches and other combustible materials. There should always be plenty of water and a shovel on hand to control the fire. Never burn in windy conditions, since sparks could easily be carried away by the wind to start new fires.

A Category 2 open fire and fireworks ban remains in effect for the Fort St. John Fire Zone and the Dawson Creek Fire Zone. This burn ban is intended to help prevent unnecessary forest fires and to protect the public.

To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or call *5555 on a cellphone.

For the latest information on fire activity, conditions and prohibitions, visit the Wildfire Management Branch website: www.bcwildfire.ca

You can also follow the latest wildfire news:

• on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
• on Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Media Contacts:

Jill Kelsh
Fire Information Officer
Wildfire Management Branch
Prince George Fire Centre
250 565-6129