With the sunshine and summer-like temperatures that have settled over the region recently, the City of Surrey isn’t taking any chances when it comes to fires.

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On Monday, the city announced that it had implemented a ban on open burning within city limits, effective immediately.

This, the city said, includes backyard fires and fire pits.

“As we move closer to the summer season, the Surrey Fire Service wants to remind its citizens that seasonally high temperatures and dry weather do result in an increase in the potential for brush fires and nuisance smoke throughout the City of Surrey,” the city said, in a release.

Natural gas, propane, or charcoal briquettes are permitted as long as they are being used in ULC/CSA-approved devices for that particular product, the city noted. Charcoal briquettes are allowed on private property but are prohibited in city parks and on city beaches.

Already this year, the city said fire crews have attended to 123 brush/grass fires and 184 burning complaints.

Any fire service attendance to an open burning complaint may be subject to cost recovery.

Between May 1, 2018, and Oct 01, 2018, the Surrey Fire Service responded to 441 brush/grass fires and 279 burning complaints.

Over the weekend an evacuation was ordered for the residents of the BC community of Lejac, due to what officials said is an out-of-control, human-caused wildfire.