Effective at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 5, campfires will be prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

This measure is in addition to an open burning prohibition implemented on July 2.

With the current trend of warm and dry weather in British Columbia, wildfires have displayed very aggressive behaviour and required additional fire suppression resources. Human-caused wildfires can divert critical resources and crews from responding to naturally occurring wildfires.

The campfire prohibition will remain in place until the public is notified that it has been rescinded.

A map of the area covered by the ban is available online at: See a map

Specifically, prohibited activities will include:

Campfires, as defined in the wildfire regulation;

The burning of any waste, slash or other materials;

Stubble or grass fires of any size over any area;

The use of burning barrels of any size or description;

The use of fireworks, sky lanterns, tiki torches or chimineas (outdoor fire pits).

The prohibition does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to a portable campfire apparatus with a CSA or ULC rating that uses briquettes, liquid or gaseous fuel, so long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres. The use of a campfire apparatus that does not meet these specifications is prohibited.

The open burning prohibition covers all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of local governments that have forest fire prevention bylaws and are serviced by fire departments.

Please check with local governments for any other restrictions before lighting any fire.
Anyone found in violation of a fire prohibition, including campfires, may be issued a ticket for up to $345.

Anyone who causes a wildfire through arson or recklessness may be fined up to $1 million, spend up to three years in prison and be held accountable for associated firefighting costs.

In related news, due to an elevated wildfire risk in British Columbia, the Wildfire Management Branch has requested the assistance of over 70 additional out-of-province personnel to aid in fire suppression efforts. Hot and dry weather conditions have elevated fire danger ratings throughout the province, and many areas of B.C. are currently experiencing “high” and “extreme” ratings.

Because dry forest fuels are very susceptible to ignition and lightning is expected in the northeast and interior regions of the province over the long weekend, firefighting crews are on standby in all six of B.C.’s fire centres in preparation for increased fire starts.

Personnel from Ontario and Quebec will be arriving in B.C. over the next week. They will include firefighters, an Incident Management Team and support staff, and they will be deployed throughout the province based on current and anticipated wildfire activity.

The province has also increased its air tanker capacity. An Electra L-188 air tanker has been brought in on a short-term contract and is currently stationed in Penticton. It will be deployed on fires as needed.

An air tanker group from Alberta, consisting of four CL-215T amphibious skimmers, one bird dog aircraft and an Air Attack Officer, will arrive in Prince George on Monday.
These resources join more than 1,400 provincial staff, nearly 660 B.C. contractors, over 500 out-of-province personnel and eight air tanker groups that are already engaged in fire-response efforts in British Columbia.

The requests for additional assistance were made through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which co-ordinates the mutual sharing of firefighting resources between B.C. and other Canadian jurisdictions. Costs associated with these requests will be covered by B.C. under the Mutual Aid Resources Sharing Agreement, which allows for the movement of firefighting resources throughout Canada.

The Wildfire Management Branch has responded to 812 wildfires so far this season. There are currently 12 active fires of note burning within the boundaries of the Prince George, Kamloops, Southeast and Northwest fire centres.

Most of these fires of note were caused by lightning. They serve as a reminder that, as lightning activity within the province increases, extra caution is needed to prevent person-caused wildfires. Each person-caused fire diverts critical firefighting resources away from naturally occurring fires.

The Southeast Fire Centre would like to thank the public for reporting wildfires and using fire safely during this period of elevated wildfire danger.

The Southeast Fire Centre covers the area extending 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. This includes the Selkirk and Rocky Mountain resource districts.

For information on air quality and smoke forecasts for Western Canada, visit the BC Air Quality website:

To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.

You can also follow the latest wildfire news on:
Twitter at http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
; Facebook at http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo.

Southeast Fire Centre

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