CASTLEGAR – Effective at 12:00 noon Pacific Time on Friday, September 11, 2026, Category 2 open fire 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 or Category 2 open fire must do so responsibly and in accordance with Section 20 and Section 21 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
A Category 2 open fire is a fire that burns:
- Material in one pile not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width
- Material concurrently in 2 piles each not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width
- Stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 hectares
In addition to Category 2 open fire, the following activities and equipment are also permitted:
- Fireworks as defined in the Fireworks Act of BC
- Binary exploding targets
- Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description
- Controlled air incinerators
More information about open fire and safer burning can be found on our website.
Reminder: Category 3 open fires have been prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre since May 21, 2026.
A Category 3 open fire is a fire that burns:
- Material concurrently in 3 or more piles, each not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width
- Material in one or more piles, each exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width
- One or more windrows each not exceeding 200 metres in length or 15 metres in width
- Stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 hectares
In addition to Category 3 open fires, the following equipment and activities are also prohibited:
- Air curtain burners
- Carbonizers
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:
- BCWildfire.ca
- BC Wildfire Map
- BC Wildfire App: Apple or Android
- Facebook and Instagram
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