Effective at 4 p.m. on May 27, open fires will once again be permitted throughout the Prince George Fire Centre's jurisdiction, due to a decreased risk of wildfire.

Campfires must not be larger than a half-metre wide by a half-metre tall. 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 the campfire. Never leave a campfire unattended and make sure the ashes are completely cold to the touch before leaving the area for any length of time.

Anyone lighting a Category 3 fire must first obtain a burn registration number by calling 1 888 797-1717 and must comply with air quality control legislation. 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 over more than 2,000 square metres; or

• more than two piles of any size.

A person who lights a fire must have sufficient personnel, water and tools on hand to stop the fire from escaping.

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

The Prince George Fire Centre covers the area from the Yukon and Northwest Territories borders in the north to Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, the Cottonwood River and Robson Valley in the South, and from the Alberta border in the east to the Skeena Mountains in the west.

A map of the Prince George Fire Centre is available online: http://bcwildfire.ca/AboutUs/Organization/PrinceGeorge/zones/

To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call 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://www.bcwildfire.ca

You can also follow the latest wildfire news on:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/BCGovFireInfo

Facebook: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Media Contact:

Dustin Eno
Fire Information Officer
Wildfire Management Branch
Prince George Fire Centre
250 565-6129
dustin.eno@gov.bc.ca