The Wildfire Management Branch is currently responding to 15 new wildfires in the Prince George Fire centre, all of which started on Thursday, June 25.

These fires were sparked by lightning and are burning in the northern portion of the fire centre.

The Prince George Fire Centre has responded to a total of 29 new wildfires since Tuesday and all of them were caused by lightning. The largest of these fires is in the Fort Nelson Fire Zone and covers 200 hectares. No structures are threatened at this time.

These new fires are currently being assessed and prioritized. Many of them are in remote areas and access by ground is limited. Firefighting crews, helicopters and airtankers responded to multiple fires yesterday and will continue fire suppression activities today.

Human-caused fires are preventable and divert critical resources away from naturally occurring fires. Forest and grass fuels throughout the Prince George Fire Centre are very dry and the fire risk is serious, so the Wildfire Management Branch is urging members of the public to use extreme caution when they’re in the backcountry. New fires may start easily, burn vigorously and challenge fire suppression efforts.

Open fires that are larger than half a metre high by half a metre wide are currently prohibited throughout the Prince George Fire Centre. People are allowed to have campfires, but they must fully extinguish them and make sure the ashes are cold to the touch before leaving the area for any amount of time.

Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $345, required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

Up-to-date information on burning restrictions and current wildfire activity can be obtained online at: www.bcwildfire.ca or by calling 1 888 3-FOREST.

To report smoke, flames or an unattended campfire, call 1 800 663-5555 or *5555 on a cellphone.

You can also follow the latest wildfire news:

• On Twitter at: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo

• On Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Media Contacts:

Jillian Kelsh
Fire Information Officer
Wildfire Management Branch
Prince George Fire Centre
250 565-6129 (office)
250 961-4176 (cell)