Category 2 open fires permitted throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre



WILLIAMS LAKE – Effective at 12 p.m. (noon) Pacific Daylight Time on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, the Category 2 open fire prohibition will be rescinded for the entirety of the Cariboo Fire Centre, including the Tsilhqot’in (Xeni Gwet’in) Declared Title Area.

The Tsilhqot’in (Xeni Gwet’in) Declared Title Area, in coordination with the Cariboo Fire Centre, will also be rescinding the Category 1 campfire prohibition as of Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 at 12 p.m. (noon).

A Category 2 open fire is:

  • Material in one pile not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width,
  • Material concurrently in 2 piles each not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width or,
  • Stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 hectares.

A map of the prohibition boundaries is provided below:

Map of Cariboo Fire Centre and rescinded prohibition area

Anyone who lights a Category 2 open fire must also comply with B.C.’s Open Burning Smoke Control Regulations and check the local venting index online or by calling 1 888 281-2992.

More information on Category 2 open fire safety can be found here.

At this time, Category 3 open fires remain prohibited.

A Category 3 open fire is:

  • Material concurrently in 3 or more piles each not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width,
  • Material in one or more piles each exceeding 2 metres in height or 3 metres in width,
  • One or more windrows, none of which exceed 200 metres in length or 15 metres in width or,
  • Stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 hectares.

Before lighting a fire of any size, always check with your local government authority (municipality, First Nations, etc.) as they may have their own restrictions in place. More information on open burning is available on the BC Wildfire Service website.

Anyone found in contravention of an open-burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, may be required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, may be 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.

Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from naturally caused fires. Always practice safe, responsible open fire use. To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone.

And stay up-to-date on the latest BC Wildfire news on:

Contact:

BC Wildfire Service

Fire Information Officer

Cariboo Fire Centre

778 799-2100

Connect with the Province of B.C. at www.gov.bc.ca/connect