Effective at noon (Pacific time) on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, an existing prohibition on open burning in parts of the Prince George Fire Centre — including campfires, Category 2 open burns and Category 3 open burns — will be expanded to include the Peace Forest District and the Fort Nelson Forest District.

This prohibition is being implemented to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety due to current and forecasted weather conditions, high fire-danger ratings and the number of fires that the BC Wildfire Service is currently responding to in the Prince George Fire Centre.

This prohibition will remain in effect until the public is otherwise notified. A map of the affected areas is available online: http://ow.ly/lrcU30lrUcZ

This prohibition applies to all public and private land within the Prince George Fire Centre’s jurisdiction covered by this prohibition, unless specified otherwise (e.g., in a local government bylaw). Please check with local government authorities for any other restrictions before lighting any fire.

The following activities will be prohibited in the Peace Forest District and Fort Nelson Forest District:

• 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: 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, as 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  

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• On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
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