Effective at noon on Friday, July 7, 2017, campfires will be prohibited throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre’s jurisdiction to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

Previously, campfires were only banned in the Chilcotin region.

This expanded campfire ban will remain in place until the public is notified otherwise. A map showing the affected area (the entire Cariboo Fire Centre) is available online: http://ow.ly/uaFR30drRAJ

The Cariboo Fire Centre is currently experiencing dry conditions and elevated fire danger ratings. The fire danger rating is “extreme” throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre, with some small pockets of “high” fire danger rating.

Specifically, prohibited activities will include:

• lighting any open fire of any size
• the burning of stubble or grass over any area
• the use of tiki torches and chimineas
• the use of fireworks
• the use of sky lanterns, burning barrels or burning cages of any size or description
• the use of binary exploding targets (e.g. for target practice)
• the use of air curtain burners (forced-air burning systems)

These 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.

Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a 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.

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.

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

For up-to-date information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, call 1 888 3-FOREST (1 888 336-7378) or visit: www.bcwildfire.ca

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