Effective at noon on Friday, Sept. 13, 2019, Category 2 open fires will once again be allowed throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre’s jurisdiction due to a decreased wildfire risk in the region.

A map of the affected areas is available online: http://ow.ly/4lId30pvKsB

The rescinding of the current Category 2 prohibition will apply to all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands, unless specified otherwise (e.g., in a local government bylaw). People are asked to check with local government authorities for any other restrictions before lighting any fire.

As of noon on Sept. 13, the following activities will be allowed within the Cariboo Fire Centre’s jurisdiction:

• one to two concurrently burning piles no larger than two metres high by three metres wide;
• the burning of stubble or grass over an area less than 0.2 hectares;
• the use of sky lanterns;
• the use of fireworks, including firecrackers;
• the use of tiki torches and similar kinds of torches;
• the use of binary exploding targets (e.g., for target practice);
• the use of burn barrels or burn cages; and
• the use of air curtain burners.

However, larger Category 3 open fires will remain prohibited throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre until Sept. 27, 2019, or until the public is otherwise notified. A poster explaining the different categories of open burning is available online: 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, as well as the value of resources damaged or destroyed by the wildfire.

The Cariboo Fire Centre stretches from Loon Lake near Clinton in the south to the Cottonwood River near Quesnel in the north, and from Tweedsmuir Provincial Park in the west to Wells Gray Provincial Park in the east.

To report a wildfire, unattended campfire 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, visit: www.bcwildfire.ca

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