Effective at noon on Sept. 22, 2017, Category 2 and Category 3 open burning prohibitions were rescinded at elevations higher than 1,200 metres in the Vernon Fire Zone and in the northern portion of the Kamloops Fire Zone (the North Prohibition Area).

However, Category 2 and Category 3 open fires are still prohibited in the following areas:

• Vernon Fire Zone (below 1,200 metres)
• Kamloops Fire Zone, North Prohibition Area (below 1,200 metres)
• Kamloops Fire Zone, South Prohibition Area (all elevations)
• Merritt Fire Zone (all elevations)
• Lillooet Fire Zone (all elevations)
• Penticton Fire Zone (all elevations)

A map of the affected areas is available online at: http://ow.ly/YBjv30fmGbv

Anyone conducting a Category 3 open fire (in those areas where they’re allowed) must first obtain a burn registration number by calling 1 888 797-1717. A poster explaining the different categories of open burning is available online at: http://ow.ly/znny309kJv5

Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $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 your cellphone.

For the latest information on fire activity, conditions and prohibitions, visit the BC Wildfire Service website: www.bcwildfire.ca

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