The current spell of hot, dry weather has resulted in increased fire danger ratings throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre. The majority of the Cariboo Fire Centre is currently or soon expected to be rated “extreme”.

The Puntzi Lake wildfire demonstrates how dry and volatile forest conditions are in the Cariboo region and there is no reprieve in the weather forecast. The Cariboo Fire Centre is expecting lightning strikes on Friday and on the weekend.

Most of the province is experiencing similar extreme conditions and the amount of fire activity, both provincially and nationally, has created a high demand for firefighting resources.

With these conditions in mind, this is a good time to think about being prepared in case of an emergency. Residents of the Cariboo Regional District, including residents of 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, Quesnel and Wells, can sign up for the Cariboo-Chilcotin Emergency Notification System to receive alerts about emergencies and other important community news.

This system enables the Cariboo Regional District to provide critical information to residents quickly in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons and evacuations of buildings or neighbourhoods.

People who sign up for the service can specify how they want to receive the alerts, including: home, mobile or business phone; email; and text message. Residents can register by visiting the Cariboo Regional District website at www.cariboord.ca or by calling the office at 250 392-3351.

Depending on the incident, you and your family could be on your own for several days while first responders manage the situation. People can also learn about how to prepare for emergencies by visiting PreparedBC at: http://www.gov.bc.ca/preparedbc

Residents may want to bookmark these sources of emergency information:

• @PreparedBC (twitter.com) (Twitter) for preparedness information
• @EmergencyInfoBC (twitter.com) (Twitter) and Emergency Info BC (website) for alerts
• @BCGovFireInfo (twitter.com) (Twitter) for wildfire updates
• BC Forest Fire Information (facebook.com) (Facebook) for wildfire updates
• @DriveBC (twitter.com) (Twitter) and DriveBC.ca (website) for road conditions
• CRD Emergency Operations (facebook.com) (Facebook) for current Cariboo-Chilcotin evacuation information
• @CaribooRD (twitter.com) (Twitter) for current Cariboo-Chilcotin evacuation information

To report smoke, flames or an open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or dial *5555 on a cellphone.

For up-to-date information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, call 1 888 3-FOREST or visit: www.bcwildfire.ca

Media Contacts:

Emily Epp
Fire Information Officer
BC Wildfire Service
Cariboo Fire Centre
250 989-2665

Shelly Burich
Manager of Communications
Cariboo Regional District
250 305-8151