VERNON – The B.C. Day long weekend is a big one for tourism in the Okanagan. As visitors pour into the region and locals plan for fun in the sun, officials are warning the public to take caution on the roads and in the backcountry.
It’s a similar story in Kelowna where City Park was full of people enjoying the sun on Friday.
If you are celebrating this long weekend, don’t shoot off any fireworks. Fireworks and campfires are banned in the region as officials try to prevent human-caused fires from starting.
As of Friday there were over 30 wildfires burning in the Kamloops Fire Centre, which includes the Okanagan. Provincial officials are urging people to take caution not to start any new blazes because they are a drain on firefighting resources.
With the upsurge in travel, highways are also expected to be busy and officials are asking people to drive with care.
ICBC says on average in the Southern Interior each B.C. Day long weekend 94 people are injured in 360 accidents.
“Most of these crashes will happen on the Friday so, if possible, plan to leave on Saturday morning and have a good rest and then head out,” she says.
Around British Columbia, ICBC says on average five people are killed on roadways every B.C. Day long weekend.
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