Effective at noon on Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, campfires and other types of open burning will be prohibited in some areas of the Northwest Fire Centre to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

Anyone conducting an open burn in the affected areas must extinguish any such fire by noon on Aug. 19, 2016. This prohibition will remain in effect until Sept. 30, 2016, or until the public is otherwise notified.

Campfire bans:

A map of the areas where campfires will be prohibited is available online at: http://ow.ly/CzFV303ndLt

In these areas, there is a prohibition on fire-related equipment, including:

• tiki torches (and similar kinds of torches)
• stoves and campfire apparatuses that are not CSA or ULC approved
• fireworks, including firecrackers
• burning barrels
• sky lanterns
• air curtain burners
• exploding binary targets

This fire equipment prohibition does not apply to a cooking stove that uses gas, propane or briquettes, or to a portable campfire apparatus with a CSA or ULC rating that uses briquettes, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel, so long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres.

Category 2 and Category 3 open burning prohibitions:

A map of the areas where Category 2 and Category 3 open burning will be prohibited is available online at: http://ow.ly/GqtM303ne1o

In these areas, there is also a prohibition on the use of some fire-related equipment, including:

• fireworks, including firecrackers
• burning barrels
• sky lanterns
• air curtain burners
• exploding binary targets

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 in place and is serviced by a fire department. Before lighting any fire, people should check with local authorities to see if any other burning restrictions are in place.

To learn more about open burning categories, fire bans and fire restrictions, please visit: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/fire-bans-and-restrictions

Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, 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 or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.

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