Effective at noon on Monday, July 27, 2015, campfires will once again be allowed east of the Fraser River within the Cariboo Fire Centre’s jurisdiction.

Campfires remain prohibited west of the Fraser River.

Specifically, the following activities will be allowed east of the Fraser River but remain prohibited west of the Fraser River within the Cariboo Fire Centre:

• Campfires (no larger than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide).
• Outdoor stoves and other portable campfire apparatuses.
• Tiki torches, burning barrels, burning cages and air curtain burners.  

Category 2 open burning, Category 3 open burning, fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns and binary exploding targets will remain prohibited throughout the entire Cariboo Fire Centre to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

Anyone lighting a campfire east of the Fraser River 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.

Campfire prohibitions do 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, so long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres. The use of a campfire apparatus that does not meet these specifications is prohibited west of the Fraser River.

These prohibitions cover all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands, but do not apply within the boundaries of a local municipality that has forest fire prevention bylaws and is serviced by a fire department. Please check with local municipal authorities for any other restrictions before lighting any fire.

The Cariboo Fire Centre stretches from Loon Lake near Clinton in the south to the Cottonwood River near Quesnel in the north and from Tweedsmuir Provincial Park in the west to Wells Gray Provincial Park in the east. For a map of the affected areas, please visit: http://bit.ly/1ICuTnm

The fire danger rating in the Cariboo Fire Centre currently ranges from “very low” to “low” east of the Fraser River and “low” to “extreme” west of the Fraser River. In areas with a “high” or “extreme” fire danger rating, there is a serious wildfire risk.

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.

For information about where campfires are banned in the province and to get tips on making responsible burning decisions, see: http://bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNews/Bans.asp

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

For up-to-date information on current wildfire activity and open burning restrictions, visit: www.bcwildfire.ca or call 1 888 3-FOREST.

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