PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Open fires will be allowed again throughout parts of northern British Columbia starting Friday, thanks to cooler and wetter weather.

The Wildfire Management Branch says backyard fires, fires to clear land, and the use of burn barrels, sky lanterns and fireworks will be permitted in the Northwest Fire Centre.

A ban on open burning has also been lifted in the Prince George Fire Centre, which covers an area from the Yukon and Northwest Territories in the north to Robson Valley in the south, and from the Alberta border in the east to the Skeena mountains in the west.

Cooler weather also means an area restriction around two wildfires in the Prince George Fire Centre has been lifted, and an evacuation alert for the Peace River Regional District community of Tsah Key Dene (say-kay-denay) has been rescinded.

Campfire bans were also lifted last week in the south coast of B.C.

Residents are being warned to take safety precautions such as not keeping a fire burning in windy conditions and ensuring a blaze is completely out before leaving an area.