Due to hot and dry conditions and an increased wildfire risk, the BC Wildfire Service will be prohibiting campfires, Category 2 open burns and Category 3 open burns within the Northwest Fire Centre’s jurisdiction effective at noon on Friday, Aug. 3, 2018.

There are currently 31 wildfires in the Northwest Fire Centre. These prohibitions will help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety, and will remain in place until the public is otherwise notified.

A map of the affected area is available online: http://ow.ly/W9tf30ledeI

The following activities will be prohibited throughout the Northwest Fire Centre:

• campfires
• backyard and industrial burning (Category 2 and Category 3 open burns)
• the use of outdoor stoves and other portable campfire apparatuses that are not CSA-approved or ULC-approved
• the use of fireworks, firecrackers, tiki torches, sky lanterns, chimineas and burning barrels
• the use of binary exploding targets (e.g., for rifle target practice)

These prohibitions do not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to portable campfire apparatuses with a CSA or ULC rating that use briquettes, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel, as long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres.

This prohibition applies to all public and private land, unless specified otherwise (e.g., in a local government bylaw). Please check with local government authorities for any other restrictions before lighting any fire.

Anyone found in contravention of an open fire 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 Northwest Fire Centre extends from the Yukon Territory border in the north to Tweedsmuir Provincial Park in the south, and from the Pacific Ocean and Alaska border in the west to just east of Endako.

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

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

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