Campfire bans, backcountry restrictions lifted in B.C. as wildfire risk drops

Restrictions on travel to British Columbia's backcountry are slowly being lifted in some parts of the province as improved conditions have lowered the wildfire risk.

Officials from the B.C. Wildfire Service say a ban prohibiting access to the backcountry in the Cariboo region will be rescinded by the end of the day.

In addition, campfires are once again allowed in most areas of the Prince George and northwest fire centres.

Kevin Skrepnek of the wildfire service says although calm weather conditions are expected to change in the coming days, forecasted storms shouldn't be severe and will bring more rain.

He says the restrictions being rescinded were extreme and reflected the severity of a historic wildfire season that has seen more than 1,000 square kilometres of land scorched.

"Putting the backcountry closure in place was a pretty extraordinary move and we were doing that to basically use every tool we had at our disposal to prevent human-caused fires," Skrepnek said, adding the last similar ban was in 2003.

"We believe that the threat has lessened to an extent where we're happy to rein back in something that unusual, that disruptive."

There are still 138 fires burning across the province and people are urged to check the provincial wildfire information website for the latest information about bans on campfires and off-road vehicles.