The BC Wildfire Service will enact a Category 3 open fire prohibition in the Southeast Fire Centre this Friday.
The ban will impact the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District and the Selkirk Natural Resource District with the goal of preventing human-caused wildfires.
Category 3 burns include the following activities:
- Material concurrently burning in three or more piles each not exceeding two metres in height and three metres in width.
- Material in one or more piles each exceeding two metres in height or three 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.
The use of air curtain burners and carbonizers is also banned under this stage.
The BC Wildfire Service says the prohibition will go into effect at 12 p.m. Pacific Time (1 p.m. MT) on Friday, May 30.
Anyone conducting a Category 3 open fire must have it extinguished when the ban goes into effect.
The ban will be in effect until October 30 or until the BC Wildfire Service lifts the ban.
BC Wildfire Service officials say the ban will apply to all areas outside of municipal boundaries, but it will include recreation sites, parks, trails, ecological reserves and private managed forest lands even if they are in municipal boundaries.
Municipalities have their own fire ban policies, but will often follow BC Wildfire Service prohibitions.
Anyone found breaking BC Wildfire Service bans can be slapped with heavy 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 to one year in jail,” said the BC Wildfire Service.
“If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.”
Campfires and Category 2 burns are still allowed for now.
You can report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation by calling *5555 on a cell phone or calling 1 800 663-5555 toll-free.
You can also report it through the BC Wildfire App.
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