A ban on Category 1 open burning (campfires) has been partially lifted in the Prince George Fire Centre.
Campfires are still banned in the Dawson Creek, Fort St. John and Fort Nelson fire zones, but are now allowed in all other fire zones within the Prince George Fire Centre jurisdiction, including the Prince George zone.
Category 2 and Category 3 open-burning prohibitions remain in effect throughout the Prince George Fire Centre. The prohibitions apply to all public and private lands unless otherwise specified.
During campfire prohibitions, only CSA-rated or ULC-rated outdoor stoves or portable campfire units that use gas, propane or briquettes are allowed to be used and if conditions warrant, the use of portable campfire apparatus or outdoor stoves may be further restricted or prohibited.
In addition to the open fire prohibitions, Prohibition Areas A and B have several other activities that are banned.
In Prohibition Area A (which includes Prince George, Mackenzie and Stuart Nechako fire districts, as well as Prince George VanJam, Robson Valley and Mackenzie fire zones) the prohibitions include fireworks, sky lanterns, binary exploding targets, burn barrels or burn cages of any size of description;
In Prohibition Area B (Fort Nelson and Peace fire districts, Fort Nelson, Fort St. John and Dawson Creek fire zones) – all activities listed in Prohibition Area A are prohibited, as well as fires in chimnea burners, tiki and similar kinds of torches, outdoor stoves or portable campfire apparatus which do not have a CSA or ULC rating.
Go to the BC Wildfire Service Bans and Restrictions webpage for the most current prohibitions for your area.
Anyone caught disobeying an open-burning prohibition is subject to a fine of $1,150 and might be required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, could 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.
For updates on the current wildfire situation and incident details for Wildfires of Note, go to the provincial website BCWildfire.ca.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, please call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free, *5555 on a cell phone or through the BC Wildfire Service mobile app.
