Effective at 8 a.m. on Monday, July 10, 2017, all open fires (including campfires) will be prohibited throughout the Northwest Fire Centre’s jurisdiction to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

This prohibition is being implemented due to current weather conditions and the volume of fires that the BC Wildfire Service is responding to in the province. More lightning is in the forecast, and firefighting resources must focus on existing fires and new, naturally occurring fires.

This prohibition will remain in effect until Oct. 21, 2017, or until the public is otherwise notified. A map of the affected areas is available online at: http://ow.ly/UUIV30dvxWM

This prohibition covers all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands within the Northwest Fire Centre’s jurisdiction. It does not apply within the boundaries of a local government that has wildfire prevention bylaws in place and is serviced by a fire department.

The following activities are prohibited:

• campfires
• Category 2 open fires
• Category 3 open fires
• the burning of any waste, slash or other materials
• stubble or grass fires of any size over any area
• the use of stoves and other portable campfire apparatuses that are not CSA-approved  or ULC-approved
• fires burning woody debris in outdoor stoves
• the use of tiki torches, fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns, burning barrels or burning cages of any size or description
• the use of binary exploding targets (e.g. for rifle target practice)

A poster explaining the different categories of open burning is available online at: www.gov.bc.ca/openfireregs

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

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. For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to: http://www.bcwildfire.ca  

You can also follow the latest wildfire news on:

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