Just before the weekend, fire bans in place for Yellowknife, nearby parks

A citywide open-air burning ban for Yellowknife has been expanded to include the Fred Henne and Yellowknife River territorial parks.

The city issued its ban Friday afternoon"due to very dry conditions and no indication of rain forecast throughout the weekend," said the city's fire chief, John Fredericks, in a news release Friday afternoon.

The ban includes the use of open fire pits within the city and is in effect until further notice.

The territorial government, which is responsible for managing the parks, issued its own fire ban a few hours later, in order to bring the rules for burning in line with the city's ban.

Most fires are banned at the parks until further notice, but you can use camping stoves and enclosed barbecues. Propane burners may be used for heating or cooking, but they have to be used within a fire pit.