The province is taking extra precautions this long weekend by instituting an Alberta-wide fire ban to prevent further incidents of wildfires.

As of Thursday, there were more than 70 wildfires burning throughout the province, including a massive fire in the community of Slave Lake.  

Karen Ritchie, information officer for Sustainable Resource Development, said despite the forecast of wet weather in the southern part of the province, the ban was necessary.

With a large portion of the province’s firefighting resources already being utilized in Northern Alberta, the rest of the province is not as protected, according to Ritchie.

“So many people have been exported to support the fires up north,” she said. “What that means is they’re completely utilized so if a fire were to start, it’s just that much more of an issue here.”

Ritchie said the only fires that campers will be allowed to set this weekend will be for cooking appliances such as propane or gas barbecues or pit stoves.

“I expect that people will primarily follow (the ban). In spite of the weather, they understand it’s an important thing to do.”

The fine for breaching the fire ban in Alberta is set at $5,000.