The St. John’s Regional Fire Department is no longer issuing fire ban advisories, and is now encouraging all residents to regularly check the provincial fire hazard map online.

The fire department says before lighting a backyard fire, or using a permit to burn, you must understand what the risk level, as outlined on the map, means.

Blue or green means the risk of fire is low, and open fires are allowed with a valid permit to burn. Outdoor wood-burning appliances and charcoal barbecues are also allowed.

Yellow means the risk of fire is high, and open fires and permit-to-burn fires are not allowed.

Orange or red means the risk is very high or extreme, meaning all open fires, and the use of wood-burning appliances, are not allowed.