SMITHERS – Effective at 12 p.m. (noon) Pacific Daylight Time on Saturday, May 13, 2023, Category 2 and Category 3 open fires will be prohibited across the Bulkley Zone and Nadina Zone, which includes the Nadina Forest District and the Skeena portion of the Skeena/Stikine Forest District.

This open burning prohibition will prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

Specifically, prohibited activities that would constitute a Category 2 & 3 open fire include:

• One to two concurrently burning piles no larger than two metres high by three metres wide or burning stubble or grass over an area less than 0.2 hectares;
• burning of one or more windrows;
• burning of stubble or grass over an area greater than 0.2 hectares; and
• fireworks.

This prohibition does not ban campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller and does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane, or briquettes.

Anyone conducting a Category 2 or Category 3 open fire anywhere in Bulkley or Nadina Zones must extinguish any such fire by 12 p.m. (noon) PDT, May 13, 2023. This prohibition will remain in place until 12 p.m. (noon) PDT, June 15, 2023, or until the public is otherwise notified.

For more information on open burning, visit our website.

A map of the affected area is available online and below:

The Category 2 & Category 3 open fire prohibition applies to all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of a local government that has forest fire prevention

bylaws in place and is serviced by a fire department. Check with local government authorities

for any other restrictions before lighting any fire.

Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from lightning-caused fires. Always practice safe, responsible fire use where permitted.

• To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone.
• Check with your local government or other jurisdictional authorities before lighting a fire of any size since they may have their own restrictions in place.
• 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.

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Contact:

BC Wildfire Service
Fire Information Officer
Northwest Fire Centre
BCWS.NWFCInformationOfficer@gov.bc.ca
250 876-6844