Prince George city council received updates from both Prince George Fire Rescue and the RCMP with a strong focus on the issues impacting the downtown core Monday.
A report to council around the management and impacts of open burning in the downtown core showed that from January 1, 2022, to the end of 2025 the number of structure fires is 379 with a total loss value of $38.9 million.
The RCMP report included statistics from January 1 to April 30, 2026, and showed that in the downtown area the number of calls for service during that time was 2,752, a slight increase from the same period last year which showed 2,687 calls.
The discussion involved bylaw shift changes and the use of body worn cameras. A report to council showing peer municipalities highlighted that the City of Vancouver and the City of Burnaby are the only local governments in British Columbia using body worn cameras for bylaw staff. The report also highlighted that the City of Kamloops is the only peer municipality that operates a 24-hour bylaw service model.
Council moved a motion to have staff coordinate further overnight patrols downtown to mitigate open burning and related complaints.