The fire danger is now extreme in Mount Revelstoke National Park and Glacier National Park in British Columbia/Jennifer Bain

Two national parks in British Columbia have launched smoking restrictions to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires.

Mount Revelstoke National Park has banned smoking tobacco (including cigarettes and pipes) and cannabis until further notice. Glacier National Park asks visitors to refrain from smoking in the park or ensure all cigarette butts are fully extinguished and disposed of in a waste bin.

As well, lighting or maintaining fires in either park — where the fire danger is extreme — is now strictly prohibited.

Across Canada, wildfire response resources are stretched thin with the current fire situation in B.C. and other parts of the country.

Vehicles overheating can be another source of accidental fire starts in these dry conditions. Parks Canada says that anyone traveling the Meadows in the Sky Parkway or the Trans-Canada Highway should keep an eye on their vehicle’s temperature and take a break if needed to let the engine to cool down. People should only park on paved surfaces or gravel pull outs — never over or on vegetation.

Parking at the summit of Mount Revelstoke will be limited to designated parking stalls in the Balsam Lake area (no parking along the side of the road and/or over vegetation). Vehicles will be held at Columbia Viewpoint or at the Meadows in the Sky Parkway Kiosk when the parking is full. To avoid busy times, plan an early morning or late afternoon start.

Parks Canada fire crews continue to monitor the Uto Wildfire in Glacier. With hot, dry weather, increased fire activity has been observed. The latest size estimate for this wildfire is 1,678 hectares (4,146 acres). It’s in a remote area of the park and poses no risk to people at this time.

The wildfire is currently in the Beaver and Copperstain valleys. The fire management team will use natural features combined with direct suppression and strategic ignition (to remove fuel ahead of the fire) as required to maintain the fire within predetermined boundaries.

The Uto wildfire, caused by a lightning strike, was detected July 9. It’s south of the Trans-Canada Highway in a remote area of the Beaver Valley in Glacier.