Category 1 campfire prohibition to be rescinded in the Southeast Fire Centre



CASTLEGAR – Effective at 12:00 noon Pacific Time on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, Category 1 campfires will be permitted throughout the Southeast Fire Centre, which includes the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District and the Selkirk Natural Resource District.

Anyone choosing to light a Category 1 campfire must do so responsibly and in accordance with Section 20 of the Wildfire Regulation:

  • Do not burn in windy conditions
  • Establish and maintain a fuel break
  • Do not leave the fire unattended
  • Ensure the fire is fully extinguished before leaving the area
  • Carry out fire control immediately and/or report the fire if it spreads beyond the established fuel break

Other activities which were previously included in the Category 1 campfire prohibition will now be permitted in the Southeast Fire Centre:

  • The use of sky lanterns
  • The use of wood fired hot tubs, wood fired pizza ovens and other wood fired devices unless vented through a structure that has a flue and is incorporated in a building

The BC Wildfire Service takes several factors into account before rescinding prohibitions. This includes balancing the needs of the public with the need to mitigate the risk of human-caused wildfires. The combination of current and future forecasts, recent precipitation and improved overnight recoveries has reduced the need to prohibit campfires in the Southeast.

As of September 1, 2026 the below open fires remain prohibited in the Southeast Fire Centre:

The following activities and equipment also remain restricted:

  • Air curtain burners
  • Carbonizers
  • Fireworks as defined in the Fireworks Act of BC
  • Binary exploding targets
  • Burn barrels or burn cages or any size or description
  • Controlled air incinerators

A Category 2 open fire is a fire that burns:

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

You can find the PDF poster for Category 2 open fire here.

A Category 3 open fire is a fire that burns:

  1. Material concurrently in 3 or more piles, each not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width
  2. Material in one or more piles, each exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width
  3. One or more windrows each not exceeding 200 metres in length or 15 metres in width
  4. Stubble o grass over an area exceeding 0.2 hectares

You can find the PDF poster for Category 3 open fire here.

A map indicating the areas affected by this prohibition is available online and below:

This prohibition applies to all areas in the Southeast Fire Centre that are outside of municipal boundaries. In addition, this prohibition applies to the following types of land within municipal boundaries:

  • Parks, conservancies and recreation areas (Park Act)
  • Recreation sites, recreation trails, interpretive forest sites and trail-based recreation areas (Forest and Range Practices Act)
  • Ecological reserves (Ecological Reserve Act)
  • Wildlife management areas (Wildlife Act)
  • Private managed forest land (Private Managed Forest Land Act)

This prohibition also applies to all lands in the Villages of Slocan and Silverton municipalities.

Municipalities often follow BC Wildfire Service prohibitions or may impose different prohibitions based on conditions in their local area. If you are in a municipality, be sure to check if local prohibitions are in place. If you are within a regional district or improvement district, this prohibition applies as well as any local prohibition issued by the regional district or improvement district. BC Parks follows BC Wildfire Service prohibitions.

You can find more information on prohibitions and restrictions within the Southeast Fire Centre here.

Offences and fines

Anyone found in contravention of an open fire prohibition may be issued a 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 for up to one year in jail.

If your fire causes or contributes to a wildfire, you may be fined up to $1 million and/or sentenced to up to 3 years in jail, as well as be responsible for all firefighting and associated costs. More information about the Wildfire Act and Regulation is available online.

Report a wildfire

The Southeast Fire Centre would like to thank the public for its continuing help in preventing wildfires.

Report a wildfire, unattended campfire, or open burning violation by:

  • Dialing *5555 on a cell phone
  • Calling 1-800-663-5555 toll-free
  • Reporting through the BC Wildfire App with the Report a fire function
    • Reporting through the app lets you upload images and can be used without service

Stay up-to-date with the latest wildfire news on:

Contact:

Fire Information Team
BC Wildfire Service
Southeast Fire Centre
250-318-7715
BCWS.SEFCInfo@gov.bc.ca

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