Ministry of Natural Resources fire crews are preparing for a possibly busy Labor Day long weekend. The fire hazard is starting to inch up across the region into the high to extreme range. Fire information officer Heather Pridham says they've responded to 22 new fires over the past three days. Pridham says most of the new fires have been caused by lightning, but adds that they are also seeing an increase in the number of human-caused fires as the long weekend approaches.