Effective at noon (Pacific time) on Thursday, May 23, 2019, Category 2 open burns will be prohibited throughout the Prince George Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, to reduce wildfire risks and protect public safety.

This prohibition will remain in effect until the public is otherwise notified.

The Prince George Fire Centre extends from the Yukon and Northwest Territories in the north to Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, the Cottonwood River and Robson Valley in the south, and from the Alberta border in the east to the Skeena Mountains in the west.

A map of the affected areas is available online: http://ow.ly/F3rx30oNS6F

The prohibition applies to all public and private land unless specified otherwise — for example, in a local government bylaw. Check with local government authorities for any other restrictions before lighting any fire.

The following activities are prohibited:

• the open burning of any material (piled or unpiled) smaller than two metres high and three metres wide; and
• stubble or grass fires over an area smaller than 2,000 square metres.

The prohibition does not apply to Category 3 fires or campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, nor to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes. Anyone lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire area and have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire.

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

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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