B.C. lifts campfire bans for most of province

A ban prohibiting campfires has been lifted for some regions of British Columbia, but not all parts.

With cooler weather now washing over B.C., the provincial government said the campfire ban was fully rescinded on Friday at noon for the Kamloops Fire Centre, the Cariboo Fire Centre and the Prince George Fire Centre. However, for the Coastal Fire Centre, the Southeast Fire Centre and Northwest Fire Centre, the campfire ban was only partially rescinded.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development has provided detailed information for each fire centre.

Cariboo Fire Centre

Effective at noon on Sept. 7, campfires will be allowed throughout the jurisdiction. However, the following activities remain prohibited throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre:

• Category 2 and Category 3 open fires, as defined in the Wildfire Regulation
• stubble or grass burning of any size
• the use of tiki torches
• the use of chimineas
• the use of air curtain burners (forced-air burning systems)
• the use of sky lanterns
• the use of fireworks, including firecrackers
• the use of burn barrels or burning cages of any size or description
• the use of binary exploding targets (e.g. for target practice)

Coastal Fire Centre

Effective at noon on Sept. 7, campfires will be allowed on Haida Gwaii. However, campfires are still prohibited elsewhere in the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, except in the ‘fog zone’ on Vancouver Island. A map showing the affected areas is available online: http://ow.ly/XpkK30lIAba

The following activities remain prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre, except in the fog zone on Vancouver Island:

• Category 2 and Category 3 open fires, as defined in the Wildfire Regulation
• stubble or grass burning of any size
• the use of air curtain burners (forced-air burning systems)
• the use of sky lanterns
• the use of fireworks, including firecrackers
• the use of burn barrels or burning cages of any size or description
• the use of binary exploding targets (e.g., for target practice)
• Chimineas, tiki torches, stoves and portable campfire devices that are not CSA-approved or ULC-approved can be used only in the fog zone and on Haida Gwaii.

Kamloops Fire Centre

UPDATE: 

Shortly after the provincial government announced that the campfire ban had been lifted for the Kamloops Fire Centre, which includes the Okanagan, the Regional District of the Central Okanagan and the Regional District of the North Okanagan both said the campfire ban is still in effect for their areas.

“Central Okanagan Fire Chiefs have not lifted the ban on campfires currently in place in the Regional District of Central Okanagan due to continued high fire hazard rating,” the RDCO said in a press release. “The ban, put in place on July 26, is effective until further notice in local government jurisdictions of the Regional District of Central Okanagan including the City of Kelowna, City of West Kelowna, District of Lake Country, District of Peachland, Westbank First Nation and the Central Okanagan East and West Electoral Areas. Violators could receive a fine and be charged the cost of the fire department response to a burning complaint. Residents are encouraged to report illegal burning by calling the Regional Fire Dispatch Centre at 250-469-8577.”

The RDNO added “with nearby Fire Centres lifting campfire bans, the Regional District of North Okanagan would like to clarify that the campfire ban within the RDNO Electoral Areas is still in effect.
Precipitation is expected this weekend. However, the current conditions and fuels are still vulnerable to wildfire. Because of the risk, the RDNO Electoral Areas will not be rescinding the campfire ban until a further review is undertaken on Monday, September 10, 2018. This notice only refers to the RDNO Electoral Areas.”

Original story:

Effective at noon on Sept. 7, campfires will be allowed throughout the jurisdiction. However, the following activities remain prohibited throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre:

• Category 2 and Category 3 open fires, as defined in the Wildfire Regulation
• the use of tiki torches
• the use of sky lanterns
• the use of fireworks, including firecrackers
• the use of burn barrels or burning cages of any size or description
• the use of binary exploding targets (e.g., for target practice)

Northwest Fire Centre

Effective at noon on Sept. 7, campfires will be allowed throughout the Cassiar Fire Zone and Skeena Fire Zone, and in the northern portion of the Bulkley Fire Zone. However, campfires are still prohibited elsewhere in the Northwest Fire Centre’s jurisdiction. A map showing the affected areas is available online: http://ow.ly/nNsl30lJ98F

The following activities remain prohibited throughout the Northwest Fire Centre:

• Category 2 and Category 3 open fires, as defined in the Wildfire Regulation

In the Nadina Fire Zone and the southern portion of the Bulkley Fire Zone, campfires and the following activities remain prohibited:

• the use of tiki torches
• the use of chimineas
• the use of outdoor stoves and portable campfire apparatus that are not CSA-approved or ULC-approved, or if the flame is longer than 15 centimetres
• the use of air curtain burners (forced-air burning systems)
• the use of sky lanterns
• the use of fireworks, including firecrackers
• the use of burn barrels or burning cages of any size or description
• the use of binary exploding targets (e.g., for target practice)

Prince George Fire Centre

Effective at noon on Sept. 7, campfires will be allowed throughout the jurisdiction. However, the following activities remain prohibited throughout the Prince George Fire Centre:

• Category 2 and Category 3 open fires, as defined in the Wildfire Regulation
• the use of air curtain burners (forced-air burning systems)
• the use of sky lanterns
• the use of fireworks, including firecrackers
• the use of burn barrels or burning cages of any size or description
• the use of binary exploding targets (e.g., for target practice)

Southeast Fire Centre

Effective at noon (PT) on Sept. 7, campfires will be permitted in the Columbia Fire Zone. However, the campfire prohibition will remain in effect in the Boundary, Cranbrook, Invermere, Arrow and Kootenay Lake fire zones. A map showing the affected areas is available online: http://ow.ly/9t1k30fiVpT

The following activities also remain prohibited within the Boundary, Arrow, Kootenay Lake, Invermere and Cranbrook Fire Zones:

• the use of tiki torches
• the use of chimineas
• the use of outdoor stoves and portable campfire apparatus that are not CSA-approved or ULC-approved, or if the flame is longer than 15 centimetres

The following activities remain prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre:

• Category 2 and Category 3 open fires, as defined in the Wildfire Regulation
• stubble or grass burning of any size
• the use of air curtain burners (forced-air burning systems)
• the use of sky lanterns
• the use of fireworks, including firecrackers
• the use of burn barrels or burning cages of any size or description
• the use of binary exploding targets (e.g., for target practice)