Effective at noon on Wednesday, July 16, 2014, the Cariboo Fire Centre will expand its campfire prohibition across the entire Cariboo Fire Centre.

This prohibition will remain in place until Sept. 30, 2014, or until the public is informed otherwise.

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

With the current trend of warm and dry weather, wildfires in the Cariboo Fire Centre may display aggressive behaviour and require additional fire suppression resources. Human-caused wildfires can divert critical resources from responding to naturally occurring wildfires.

Open burning is also prohibited throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre. This prohibition applies to open fires of any size, fireworks, sky lanterns, tiki torches, chimineas and burning barrels. This 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.

A map of the affected areas is available online at: http://bit.ly/W8ApY0

The open burning prohibition covers all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of a local government that has forest fire prevention bylaws and is serviced by a fire department. Please check with local authorities for any other restrictions before lighting a fire.

Anyone found in contravention of an open fire prohibition may be issued a ticket for $345 or, if convicted in court, may be fined up to $100,000 and sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be subject to a penalty of up to $10,000 and be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

The Cariboo Fire Centre covers an area of about 10.3 million hectares, stretching from Loon Lake in the south to just north of Quesnel at the Cottonwood River. From east to west, the boundaries stretch from the western edge of Wells Gray Provincial Park to the eastern boundary of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park.

To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, please 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

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Media Contacts:

Sandra Wagner
Fire Information Officer
Wildfire Management Branch
Cariboo Fire Centre
250 989-2665