Holiday weekend ahead means worries for fire officials

Despite wet weather being reported for the Nicola Valley for much of the long Victoria Day holiday weekend, B.C. fire officials, across the province remain on high alert.

The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) is reporting that despite the uptick in wildfires over the past few days, there are no fires being reported in the Kamloops Fire Centre which encompasses Merritt and area.

This morning, (May 15 ) there were 34 wildfires are reported in the province, up from 20 at the start the week with eight (8) currently reported as out of control.

The Victoria Day weekend is wildly considered the official start to the summer season, with campsites filling up and many travelers on the highways visiting various parts of the province.

Those enjoying the holiday weekend away from home are encouraged to check out the area’s fire prohibitions as many change from region to region.

Here in the Kamloops Fire Centre, Category 2 and Category 3 campfires are prohibited due to tinder dry conditions in the area in hopes of keeping the amount of human caused wildfires at bay.

As of  this morning, (May 15)  twenty-one of the 34 wildfires in the province burning are believed to be human caused.