Regional district follows City of Penticton’s lead with expanded fire ban

PENTICTON – The regional district is following the lead of the City of Penticton as extreme wildfire conditions continue.

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen is issuing an order banning all motorized vehicles and smoking in all public wooded, grass and bush areas within the unincorporated areas in the geographical boundaries of the regional district during the provincial state of emergency and extreme conditions.

The ban parallels a similar one issued by the City of Penticton earlier this week.

The request comes on the heels of the province’s declaration of provincial emergency and issuing of a provincial campfire ban.

The regional district takes authority for the ban through the Emergency Program Act.

Under that legislation, staff say the board may, by order in writing, declare an area posing a threat be deemed a closed area for such periods of time as the board may determine.

Staff also suggested as an alternative an aggressive marketing campaign could be mounted requesting the public’s cooperation, rather than issuing an order.

Directors also included fireworks in the order.

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