CASTLEGAR – Effective at 12 p.m. (noon) PDT on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, the Category 2 open burning prohibition will be rescinded throughout the Southeast Fire Centre’s jurisdiction.
Due to decreased wildfire risk, the following activities will once again be permitted throughout the Southeast Fire Centre:
- One to two concurrently burning piles no larger than two metres high by three metres wide
- Burning stubble or grass over an area less than 0.2 hectares
- The use of fireworks
- The use of exploding binary targets
- The use of air curtain burners
- The use of sky lanterns, and
- The use of burn barrels or burn cages
Category 3 open fire, as defined in the Wildfire Regulation, remain prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre until Oct. 28, 2024, or until the public is otherwise notified.
A map of areas affected by the Category 3 open fire prohibition is available online and below.
Residents are reminded to take the following precautions with any Category 2 open burning:
- Never leave a fire unattended
- Follow the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation
- Check the local venting index information, available online or by calling 1 888 281-2992
- At least one person equipped with a firefighting hand tool must monitor the fire at all times
- Never burn in windy conditions, as wind may carry embers to other combustible material and start new fires
- Create a fire guard around the planned fire site by clearing away twigs, grass, leaves and other combustible material right down to the soil
- Make sure that your fire is fully extinguished and the ashes are cold to the touch before you leave the area for any length of time
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 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.
The Southeast Fire Centre extends from the U.S. border in the south to Mica Dam in the north, and from the Okanagan Highlands and Monashee Mountains in the west, to the B.C.-Alberta border in the east.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone. For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air-quality advisories, visit: bcwildfire.ca, the BC Wildfire Map or download our mobile app.
Follow the latest wildfire news on:
- X (formerly Twitter)
- BC Wildfire App: available for Apple and Android
Contact:
Fire Information Officer
Southeast Fire Centre
BC Wildfire Service
250 318-7715
Connect with the Province of B.C. at www.gov.bc.ca/connect.