Metro Vancouver regional parks under extreme fire warning
Region imposes total ban on campfires, barbeque briquettes and cooking stoves
With an extreme fire warning in place, Metro Vancouver staff are asking patrons of the regional park system to be careful this Labour Day weekend.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says the forest is extremely dry and the fire risk is serious. New fires will start easily, spread rapidly and challenge fire suppression efforts.
Tyler Langeloo, a park operations supervisor with Metro Vancouver, says he hopes people will be cautious as temperatures go up this weekend and the parks remain very dry.
"People are doing a good job of being responsible and vigilant when visiting the park, and we just want to make sure people are using the parks responsibly and reporting anything they see of note," he said.
Specific restrictions vary according to the park, Langeloo said, but there is a total ban on campfires and briquette barbeques/cooking stoves everywhere.
Each park will be staffed and patrolled this weekend, he added.
If you see a fire in a regional park, Langeloo says call 911.