Effective at noon on Wednesday, July 16, all campfires will be prohibited throughout the entire Kamloops Fire Centre.

This prohibition will remain in place until the public is notified that it has been rescinded. A map of the area covered by the campfire ban is available online at: http://bit.ly/1sfqVr9

This step is being taken to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety. The fire danger rating is currently “high” throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre, with scattered pockets of “extreme”.

With the current trend of warm and dry weather, wildfires in the region have displayed very aggressive behaviour and required additional fire suppression resources. Human-caused wildfires can divert critical resources and crews from responding to naturally occurring wildfires.

Open burning is also prohibited throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre. This prohibition applies to open fires of any size, fires with a burn registration number, industrial burning, fireworks, tiki torches, sky lanterns and burning barrels. The prohibition does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to a portable campfire apparatus with a CSA or ULC rating that uses briquettes, liquid or gaseous fuel, as long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres.

The open burning prohibition covers 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 local governments for any other restrictions before lighting a fire.

Anyone found in violation of an open fire ban, including campfires, may be issued a ticket for up to $345. Anyone who causes a wildfire through arson or recklessness may be fined up to $1 million, spend up to three years in prison and be held accountable for associated firefighting costs.

To report a violation of the campfire ban within the Kamloops Fire Centre, please call 1 844 NRO-TIPS (1 844 676-8477) or fill out the reporting form at: www.for.gov.bc.ca/hen/nrv/

To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call 1 800 663-5555 or #5555 on your cellphone.

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

You can also follow the latest wildfire news -

• On Twitter at: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
• On Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Media Contacts:

Melissa Welsh
Fire Information Officer
Kamloops Fire Centre
250 554-5964
Melissa.Welsh@gov.bc.ca

Kayla Pepper
Fire Information Officer
Kamloops Fire Centre
250 554-5532
Kayla.Pepper@gov.bc.ca