Campfire, backcountry travel restrictions in place for all of eastern Manitoba due to extreme fire risk

The provinceis imposing a wide range of fire and travel restrictions, including a ban on campfires in most provincial parks and throughout many parts of Manitoba,due to the extreme fire danger.

The restrictions will be in place as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, the ManitobaWildfire Service said in aTuesday news release.

Level 3 fire and travel restrictions will be in place for several areas in the province, including all of eastern Manitoba.

That means campfires are not allowed and all backcountry travel without a permitis prohibited.

Camping will be restricted to developed campgrounds onlyand travel permits will be required for remote cottages, the province says.

Those restrictions are in place forseveral areas of the province, the Wildfire Service says, encompassingall of the province's east, including the Whiteshell area. Thenorthern Interlake and the Turtle Mountain and Spruce Woods Provincial Park areas are also included under the Level 3 restrictions.

A map showing the current provincial restrictions is availableon the province's website. As of Tuesday afternoon, it had not been updated to include the restrictions coming into effect Wednesday.

Level 2 restrictions are in place for a swath of west-central Manitoba, including the Duck Mountain area.

That means campfires are allowed only between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. and motorized backcountry travel, including off-road vehicles, is prohibited without a permit.

Burn permits cancelled provincewide

Another area that includes a wide section of northern Manitobais under Level 1 restrictions, meaning campfires are allowed only from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Backcountrymotorvehicle travel is also restricted to those hours unless approved by a travel permit.

No campfires areallowed in any provincial parklocated outside of fire and travel restriction areas, the province says.

Fireworks and sky lanterns are prohibited in provincial parks at all times under the restrictions, according to the province.

As well, allburning permits are cancelled provincewide and new permits will not be issued until conditions improve, Tuesday's news release said.

The latest restrictions come as the province sees a continued stretch of dry and hot weather, with temperatures across Manitoba forecast in the mid-20s to 30s for the foreseeable futureand little chance of rain in the forecast for most regions.

At least two Manitoba rural municipalities havedeclared a state of agricultural disaster in the past weekfollowing a season of relentless heat, record-breaking temperatures and drought.