SMITHERS – Effective at 12 p.m. (noon) on Saturday, August 29, 2026, Category 2 open fire will once again be permitted throughout the Northwest Fire Centre.
A Category 2 open fire, as defined in the Wildfire Regulation, refers to any fire that burns:
- One pile of material not exceeding two metres high and three metres wide
- Two piles of material, each not exceeding two metres high and three metres wide
- Stubble or grass over an area less than 0.2 hectares (2,000 square metres)
Learn more about the regulations that apply to Category 2 open fires
Category 3 open fire remains prohibited throughout the Northwest Fire Centre. In addition to the following equipment and activities:
- Air curtain burners
- Carbonizers
Please view a map of the affected areas below:
All open burning must comply with the Wildfire Act, Environmental Management Act and Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation. Anyone conducting an open burn must check local venting conditions prior to lighting a fire, understand what smoke sensitivity zone the burn site is in, and meet all other obligations associated with these regulations.
Venting index and smoke sensitivity zone information is available by calling 1-888-281-2992 or visiting: the text ventilation index or the venting index interactive map.
Check with your local government or other jurisdictional authorities before lighting a fire of any size and abide by any bylaws or restrictions that are in place in your area.
Report open burning violations through the RAPP Line: 1-877-952-7277
Contact:
BC Wildfire Service
Information Officer
Northwest Fire Centre
250-876-6844
BCWS.NWFCInfo@gov.bc.ca