All outdoor fires now banned in Winnipeg as extremely dry conditions drag on

If you hoped to sit around a firepit in a Winnipeg backyard in the near future, you're out of luck.

The city of Winnipeg is expanding its ban on outdoor fires to include all outdoor fires as the dryspring continues in southern Manitoba.

On Wednesday, the city expanded a temporary open-airburn ban imposed over theweekendto include fires in approved outdoor receptacles includingapproved firepits on public or private property.

The original ban implemented over the weekend included a prohibition on bonfires, burning crop residue, disposing of wood and warning fires.

In a news release, the city said extremely dry weather conditions in the Winnipeg area have increasedthe risk of dangerous fires, including grass, brush and wild fires.

The past few days have seen fires sweep through several southern Manitoba communities, destroying multiple homes.

This past Aprilwas Winnipeg's driest since 1988 and the fourth driest on record, according to an Environment Canada meteorologist.

Winnipeg got just 1.7 millimetres of rain last month, compared to its averageof 19.2 millimetres.

The city says the ban will be lifted when conditions improve.