Effective at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012, open fires will be permitted throughout the Northwest Fire Centre due to a decreased risk of wildfire.

This rescinding of the open fire prohibition applies to all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of local governments that have forest fire prevention bylaws and are serviced by fire departments. Please check with civic authorities for any restrictions before lighting a fire.

Anyone lighting a Category 3 fire must first obtain a burn registration number by calling

1 888 797-1717 and must comply with all other legislation regarding open burning.

A Category 3 fire is a fire that burns material piled more than two metres in height or three metres in width, or stubble or grass covering more than 2,000 square metres, or more than two piles of any size.

Anyone who lights an open fire must have sufficient personnel, water and tools on hand to stop the fire from escaping. Never light a fire in windy conditions, never leave a fire unattended and make sure that the ashes are completely cold to the touch before leaving the area.

Anyone who lights a campfire must have a hand tool, such as a shovel, or at least eight litres of water nearby to fully extinguish it.

The Northwest Fire Centre covers the area from Burns Lake to the West Coast and from Tweedsmuir Park to the Yukon border. This area is highlighted in shades of orange on a map available online at: http://bit.ly/OvGmp9

Report a wildfire or unattended campfire by calling 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.

For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to: http://bcwildfire.ca/

You can also follow the latest wildfire news -

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo

On Facebook: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Media Contact:

Lindsay Carnes
Fire Information Officer
Wildfire Management Branch
Northwest Fire Centre
250 877-9356