Effective at noon on Wednesday July 22, 2015, campfires will once again be allowed throughout the Northwest Fire Centre’s jurisdiction.

The following activities will be allowed:

• campfires (no larger than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide)
• outdoor stoves and other portable campfire apparatuses
• tiki torches, burn barrels and chimineas

However, Category 2 open burning, Category 3 open burning, fireworks and firecrackers will remain prohibited throughout the Northwest Fire Centre to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

The Category 2 and Category 3 open burning prohibitions will remain in place until Sept. 30, 2015, or until the public is otherwise notified. These prohibitions cover all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands, but do 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 any fire.

The Northwest Fire Centre extends from just west of Endako to the North Coast and from the Yukon border to Tweedsmuir (North) Provincial Park. A map of the Northwest Fire Centre’s boundaries is available online at: http://bit.ly/1HOZecu

The Fire Danger Rating in the Northwest Fire Centre currently ranges from “low” to “high”. In areas with a “high” Fire Danger Rating, there is a serious wildfire risk.

Anyone lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire site and have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire. The person must make sure that the campfire is completely out and the ashes are cold to the touch before leaving the area for any length of time.

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

To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.

For the latest information on wildfire activity, conditions and prohibitions, visit the BC Wildfire

Service website at: www.bcwildfire.ca or call 1 888 3FOREST.

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

Media Contacts:

Olivia Pojar
Fire Information Officer
BC Wildfire Service
Northwest Fire Centre
250 847-6639