VANDERHOOF – Effective at 12 p.m. (noon) on Thursday, July 30, 2026 Category 2 and Category 3 open fire will once again be permitted in the Stuart Nechako Forest District (Vanderhoof and Fort St. James Zones).
A Category 2 open fire, as defined in the Wildfire Regulation, refers to any fire that burns:
- One pile of material not exceeding 2 metres high and 3 metres wide
- Two piles of material, each not exceeding 2 metres high and 3 metres wide
- Stubble or grass over an area less than 0.2 hectares (2,000 square metres)
A Category 3 open fire, as defined in the Wildfire Regulation, refers to any fire that burns:
- Three or more piles of material, each not exceeding 2 metres high and 3 metres wide
- Any pile of material larger than 2 metres high or 3 metres wide
- Windrows not exceeding 200 metres in length and 15 metres in width
- Stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 hectares (2,000 square metres)
In addition to Category 2 and Category 3 open fires, the following equipment and activities will once again be permitted:
- Fireworks, as defined in the Fireworks Act of BC
- Sky Lanterns
- Binary Exploding Targets
- Burn Barrels or Burn Cages of any size or description
- Controlled air incinerators
- Air curtain burners
- Carbonizers
Anyone planning to conduct a Category 3 open burn must obtain a burn registration number ahead of time by calling 1-888-797-1717 or registering online. Burn registration numbers are entered in the Open Fire Tracking System, which allows the BC Wildfire Service to track open burning activity throughout B.C.
All open burning must comply with the Wildfire Act, Environmental Management Act and Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation. Anyone conducting an open burn must check local venting conditions prior to lighting a fire, understand what smoke sensitivity zone the burn site is in, and meet all other obligations associated with these regulations.
- Venting index and smoke sensitivity zone information is available by calling 1 888 281-2992 or visiting: the text ventilation index or the venting index interactive map.
- Learn more about regulations that apply to Category 3 open fires here or with the Category 3 open fire poster here.
Check with your local government or other jurisdictional authorities before lighting a fire of any size and abide by any bylaws or restrictions that are in place in your area.
Contact
Fire Information Officer
BC Wildfire Service
Prince George Fire Centre
250-561-4629
INFOPG@gov.bc.ca