Many Central Albertan recreation areas and parks now have fire bans in place.
Rochon Sands Provincial Park and Buffalo Lake Provincial Recreation Area, around 70 km northeast of Red Deer, Aspen Beach Provincial Park, 25 km west of Lacombe, and Big Knife Provincial Park, 40 km northeast of Stettler, all have fire bans in place.
Jarvis Bay Provincial Park and Sylvan Lake Provincial Park in Sylvan, as well as Red Lodge Provincial Park, near Bowden, have fire bans.
Buck Lake Provincial Recreation Area, 60 km northwest of Rimbey, and recreation areas around Dickson Dam have fire bans in place.
All of the recreation areas and parks are prohibiting the use of wood, briquette, propane and natural gas fires even if they are in designated fire facilities. Gas and propane stoves are still being allowed for cooking.
The County of Mountain View also announced a fire ban on Wednesday, prohibiting campfires, burning barrels and fireworks. However, gas or propane barbecues are still allowed.
Fire bans were also put in place on Tuesday by the counties of Red Deer, Lacombe, Ponoka, Stettler and Kneehill and the towns of Olds and Sylvan Lake.
In Red Deer County, the County of Stettler, and the towns of Olds and Sylvan Lake, the bans prohibit campfires and burning barrels.
The counties of Lacombe, Ponoka and Kneehill allow burning barrels with mesh no larger than 13 mm (half an inch) and campfires in campsite stoves or fire pits that are attended.
Information on bans is available at www.albertafirebans.ca.