No campfires and no barbecues.
Anything that may cause a spark and grow into a fire is prohibited on Westbank First Nation (WFN) public parks and beaches, Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) regional and community parks, City of West Kelowna parks, City of Kelowna parks as well as public spaces within the District of Lake Country and the District of Peachland.
The Central Okanagan local governments issued the ban on Friday afternoon (July 23), as dry conditions persist and wildfires continue to grow in the region.
Propane barbecues are not allowed in WFN parks and beaches, while propane and briquette barbecues are not allowed at RDCO parks. The City of West Kelowna is asking people not to barbecue, smoke, vape or use other tools that could cause sparks in the tinder-dry outdoors.
“We’ve had some scares and close calls recently where small fires have been quickly extinguished or narrowly avoided,” Kelowna parks services manager Blair Stewart said.
The barbecue ban is in conjunction with the current provincial ban on campfires, as well as smoking and taking motorized vehicles off-road.
Fire danger continues to remain high in the Okanagan and authorities are saying flames will spread quickly with potentially devastating consequences.
Bylaw officers will regularly patrol WFN, West Kelowna, and Kelowna parks and beaches to ensure people are being FireSmart.
If you see a fire in a park within the Central Okanagan, you are urged to call 911 immediately.
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