The Penticton Indian Band has announced the backcountry on their lands is closed to all motorized vehicles.
The band also announced bans of open fires as the province moves into a heatwave that is considered likely to break multiple records.
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“The extreme heat and dry conditions put the community at great risk and it is important we all do our part to protect each other,” reads the notice from the PIB’s emergency operations center.
The PIB ban specifically prohibits the burning of any waste or slash piles, any grassfires, any fireworks, sky lanterns or burning barrels, any campfires and using motorized vehicles in the backcountry or off the main roads in the PIB.
READ MORE: Penticton set to break 96-year-old heat record on Sunday
The band did note that the cultural practice of ceremonial fires in the event of a passing will continue to be respected, and that in such a case the band will ensure safety measures are in place.
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