CITY – Rain, cooler weather, lower fire danger brings reopening of trails

With the recent rain, the cooler weather, and the reduction of the fire danger rating, the City of Kamloops will reopen nature parks and nature trails tomorrow (Friday, Aug. 11, 2023). Parks crews will remove signage and unlock gates throughout the day.

Given the warmer weather forecasted over the coming weeks, the City and Kamloops Fire Rescue may opt to close parks again if conditions worsen, a news release said.

“The fire risk is not gone, however, we understand how important outdoor recreation and active transportation are to our residents,” said Fire Chief Ken Uzeloc.

“Although we will need to re-evaluate the risks as the temperatures rise again next week, we felt it was important to open these spaces to our residents throughout the weekend as we experience some reprieve.”

Residents are reminded that smoking is always prohibited in all City parks and walking trails. The City urges residents to be extremely cautious with smoking materials in all areas of the city and to only use designated containers to dispose of cigarettes, matches, and other smoking-related materials.

The Barnhartvale Landfill and Yard Waste Depot will also reopen effective 8:30 a.m. on Friday.

For more information on how to prevent a wildfire, and what to do if you spot one, visit Kamloops.ca/WildfirePrevention.