Partial Category 1 campfire prohibition planned for the Northwest Fire Centre



SMITHERS – Effective at 12:00 (noon) Pacific Daylight Time on Thursday, June 8, 2023, Category 1 campfires will be prohibited across the Nadina Fire Zone, which includes the Nadina Forest District.

This campfire prohibition will prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

The province-wide prohibition on Category 2 and 3 open burning remains in effect. Please view restrictions specific to your region here: http://ow.ly/mwjh50OH9qI

For more information on Category 2 & 3 open burning please click Here.

Specifically, prohibited activities that would constitute a Category 1 campfire include:

  • 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

This prohibition does not include the use of outdoor stoves. As per the Wildfire Regulation, an outdoor stove is a CSA-rated or ULC-rated device used outdoors for cooking, heat or ambiance that burns charcoal briquettes, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel, and has a flame height that is less than 15 cm tall.

Anyone conducting a Category 1 campfire anywhere in the Nadina Fire Zone must extinguish any such fire by 12:00 (noon) PDT, June 8, 2023. This prohibition will remain in place until September 30, 2023, at 12 noon (PDT) or until the public is otherwise notified.

Please view a map of the affected areas online: https://ow.ly/AaCv50OIxY7

The Category 1 campfire prohibition applies to all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of a local government that has forest fire prevention

bylaws in place and is serviced by a fire department. Check with local government authorities

for any other restrictions before lighting any fire.

Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from lightning-caused fires. Always practice safe, responsible fire use where permitted.

Check with your local government or other jurisdictional authorities before lighting a fire of any size since they may have their own restrictions in place.

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 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.

To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone.

You can follow the latest wildfire news:

Contact:

BC Wildfire Service

Fire Information Officer

Northwest Fire Centre

BCWS.NWFCInformationOfficer@gov.bc.ca

250 876-6844 Connect with the Province of B.C. at www.gov.bc.ca/connect