Summer is coming.
With that, comes warmer temperatures and fire bans.
As a result, effective at 12 p.m. on Wednesday (May 8), Category 2 open fires will be prohibited within Prince George and Stuart-Nechako forest districts in the Prince George Fire Centre, due to dry and hot conditions in the forecast.
The B.C. Wildfire Service is implementing this prohibition to help prevent wildfires sparked by Category 2 burns. These prohibitions will remain in place until the public is otherwise notified.
So, what is a category 2 fire again?
It’s the open burning of any material (piled or unpiled) smaller than two metres or three metres wide, burn barrels, fireworks, and stubble or grass fires over an area smaller than 2,000 square metres.
However, this prohibition does not apply to Category 3 fires or to campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, or to cooking stoves that use gas, propane, or briquettes.
Anyone lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire area and must have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire.
Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, 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.
You can report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation by calling 1-800-663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.
For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures, and air quality advisories, go to: www.bcwildfire.ca.
