Fire ban, including prohibition of campfires, still in effect

Although campfires are currently allowed in some areas and municipalities in northern B.C., the BC Wildfire Service is reminding the public that campfires are still prohibited throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre’s jurisdiction.

 Despite cooler and unsettled weather in recent days, the fire danger rating in parts of the Cariboo Fire Centre is still “high” or “extreme”. 

 The BC Wildfire Service has responded to 8 lightning-caused fires in the Cariboo Fire Centre this week.

Over 140 firefighters are working hard to suppress these fires, as well as the Puntzi Lake and Bald Mountain fires.

 During periods of high fire activity in B.C., it is important that firefighting resources are not diverted from naturally occurring (lightning-caused) fires to deal with human-caused fires.

 Current prohibited activities include:

• Open fires of any size, including campfires.
• The use of fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns, tiki torches and similar kinds of torches.
• The use of burning barrels or burning cages of any size or description.
• The use of binary exploding targets.
• The use of air curtain burners (forced-air burning systems).

This prohibition does not apply to a cooking stove that uses gas, propane or briquettes, or to a CSA-approved or ULC-approved campfire apparatus where the flame height does not exceed 15 centimeters.

Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $345, 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. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.