KAMLOOPS, B.C. -- Calmer weather and continuing progress battling British Columbia's many wildfires means hikers and campers can soon return to some parts of the backcountry in the central Interior, the Ministry of Forests said Thursday.
Recreation Sites and Trails BC said select campsites and trails in the Cariboo fire centre were scheduled to reopen at noon on Friday. It follows a decision Wednesday to rescind a sweeping ban on access to Crown land in the region.
"We wanted to get a return to normalcy as soon as it was safe, as soon as it was practical," said Kevin Skrepnek with the BC Wildfire Service.
The sites were closed July 13, one week after a lightning storm tore across the central Interior, sparking dozens of separate wildfires that forced 45,000 people from their homes.
The number of evacuation orders has declined over the last two weeks and Emergency Management BC said Thursday about 2,500 people remained out of their homes as 154 fires continued to burn.
Although some backcountry areas will reopen Friday, the ministry said other trails and recreation sites remain closed.
People are encouraged to check the websites of the wildfire service, sites and trails, and BC Parks for the latest information on closures.
A campfire ban also remains in effect throughout the Cariboo fire centre, which covers most of central B.C. including Williams Lake and Quesnel, the closest commutes to a 4,600 square kilometre wildfire that is the biggest ever recorded in the province.
The campfire ban is also in effect for most of the southern half of the province.
Skrepnek said although weather conditions have improved, dry conditions across the province are unprecedented, leaving it unclear when the campfire ban can be lifted.
There are scattered showers in the forecast for some fire-affected areas, but Skrepnek said there is still no sign of significant rainfall coming.
