SMITHERS – Effective at 12:00 (noon) on Friday, August 11, 2023, the Category 1 Open Burning (campfires) prohibition will be rescinded in the Prince George and Northwest Fire Centres.
A Category 1 fire, or campfire, is defined as an open fire that burns piled material no larger than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide. The following precautions must be in place when lighting or making use of a campfire:
- There is ready access to a shovel or at least eight litres of water the entirety of the time the campfire is lit
- There is a fuel break around the campfire, free of any debris or combustible materials
- The fire is fully extinguished and the ashes are cold to the touch before leaving the campfire for any length of time
Category 2 and Category 3 open burning remains prohibited, in addition to the use of the following:
- Fireworks, including firecrackers
- Sky Lanterns
- Burn Barrels or Burn Cages of any size or description
- Binary exploding targets
Prohibitions apply to all public and private lands unless otherwise specified (e.g. in an enactment or local government bylaw). Please check with your local authorities before lighting any fire.
A map outlining the prohibition areas for the Northwest Fire Centre is below.
Please check the BC Wildfire Service Bans and Restrictions webpage for the most current prohibitions for your area.
Wildfire prevention is a shared responsibility. Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from lightning-caused wildfires.
Anyone found in contravention of an open-burning prohibition may issue 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 an/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.
For updates on the current wildfire situation, including full incident details for Wildfires of Note, please visit BCWildfire.ca.
You can follow the latest BC Wildfire news on:
- Twitter at: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
- Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo
- The free BCWS mobile app, available to download for Apple and Android devices.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, please call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free, *5555 on a cell phone or directly through the BC Wildfire Service mobile app.
Contact:
Northwest Fire Centre Information Team
BC Wildfire Service | Ministry of Forests
250-876-6844
Prince George Fire Centre Information Team
BC Wildfire Service | Ministry of Forests
250-561-4629