WILLIAMS LAKE – Effective at 12 p.m. (noon) Pacific Daylight Time on Friday, June 16, 2023, the Category 1 campfire prohibition will be rescinded throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre and the Tsilhqot’in (Xeni Gwet’in) Declared Title Area.
A campfire is defined as an open fire that burns piled material no larger than 0.5 metres high and 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
Multiple factors are taken into consideration when assessing wildfire hazards and deciding whether to implement or rescind Category 1 campfires, including: current and forecasted weather conditions and fire behaviour; the availability of firefighting resources; and the Buildup Index (BUI).
Category 2, and Category 3 open fires, and the following activities remain prohibited:
- Fireworks
- Sky lanterns
- Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description
- Binary exploding targets
- Tiki and similar kinds of torches
- Chimineas
- Air curtain burners
Category 2 fires have been prohibited throughout the entirety of the Cariboo Fire Centre since May 11, 2023. Category 3 fires have been prohibited throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre since May 4, 2023, and the Tsilhqot’in (Xeni Gwet’in) Declared Title Area since May 8, 2023.
Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from naturally caused fires. Always practice safe, responsible open fire use. 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 a 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.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone.
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Contact:
Fire Information Officer
Cariboo Fire Centre
BC Wildfire Service
778 799-2100