A campfire ban issued one week ago for the Kamloops Fire Centre will be rescinded on Friday.
On Thursday afternoon, the Ministry of Forests said due to favourable weather over the last week, and cooler conditions in the upcoming weather forecast, campfires will be permitted throughout the Southern Interior.
The Category 1 (campfires) ban will be removed at noon on Friday, June 16 – eight days after the ban was initially issued on June 8. Category 2 and 3 open fires remain prohibited.
The campfire ban removal also includes the Cariboo Fire Centre and the Tsilhqot’in (Xeni Gwet’in) Declared Title Area.
In the Okanagan, Environment Canada is projecting a mix of sun and clouds for Friday, along with a high of 25 C.
For the weekend, Saturday will be mostly sunny, with a high of 25 C, with Sunday featuring a mix of sun and clouds plus a 30 to 40 per cent chance of showers, plus a high of 17 C.
For Monday through Wednesday, more clouds and periods of rain are predicted, with highs ranging from 17 to 20 C.
While campfires will soon be allowed again, the following items are still prohibited:
- Fireworks
- Sky lanterns
- Binary exploding targets
- Air curtain burners
Notably, the Ministry of Forests says burn barrels or burn cages are also banned except when used for a Category 1 campfire.
For more information about fire bans, visit the provincial government’s Open Burning webpage.