A fire ban has been issued for all of Evergreen Park. General Manager Dan Gorman says the decision was made on Wednesday after officials made their way through various parts of the property and realized the potential for heightened danger that exists because of the dry conditions.
“I took a walk through the underbrush, as we were going through with our user groups, and it was tinder dry,” he says. “We see that it is going to be hotter days ahead, and quite frankly, we are surrounded by forest, and we are being proactive.”
Gorman says caution needs to be a top priority at this point, and he is urging anyone who is using the area for any number of reasons to keep safety top of mind when they’re in the park.
“For goodness sakes, no throwing cigarettes away. There is no such things as fires in the campground at Evergreen Park; no fires at all at this point,” he adds.
Gorman adds with what’s happening in western Canada when it comes to wildfires, it’s the least they can do to try and keep residents in the Grande Prairie region safe.
“We know there are a number of other areas that are struggling with areas, of course with so much in B.C, and we are going to do everything we to avoid being the start of one.”
A fire restriction is currently in place both for the County of Grande Prairie and Grande Prairie Forest Area, which allows for current permits for recreational fire pits and campfires to remain in effect, however, it’s recommended to avoid burning unless required. There are no fire bans or restrictions in effect for the City of Grande Prairie.
