Campfires banned in Cariboo Fire Centre Thursday at 12pm

 

Map of Cariboo Fire Centre where
campfires are banned on Thursday at 12pm

Courtesy of the BC Wildfire Service:

Effective at 12:00 p.m. (noon) Pacific Daylight Time on Thursday, June 8, 2023, Category 1 campfires will be prohibited throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre and the Tsilhqot’in (Xeni Gwet’in) Declared Title Area. This prohibition will remain in effect until 12:00 p.m. (noon) on October 27, 2023, or until the order is rescinded.

A Category 1 campfire is defined as any fire smaller than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide.

Camping is a long-standing tradition in this province. The Cariboo Fire Centre recognizes that members of the community enjoy having campfires, and so takes any decision to implement a campfire ban very seriously. The BC Wildfire Service is constantly monitoring current and forecast conditions and maintaining preparedness.

In addition to Category 1 campfires, Category 2, and Category 3 open fires, the following activities remain prohibited:
• Fireworks
• Sky lanterns
• Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description
• Binary exploding targets
• Tiki and similar kinds of torches
• Chimineas
• Air curtain burners

This prohibition does not include the use of outdoor stoves. As per the Wildfire Regulation, an outdoor stove is a CSA-rated or ULC-rated device used outdoors for cooking, heat or ambiance that burns charcoal briquettes, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel, and has a flame height that is less than 15 cm tall. The use of a campfire apparatus that does not meet these specifications is prohibited.

As a reminder Category 2 fires have been prohibited throughout the entirety of the Cariboo Fire Centre since May 11, 2023. Category 3 fires have been prohibited throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre since May 4, 2023 and prohibited on the Tsilhqot'in (Xeni Gwet'in) Declared Title Area since May 8, 2023.

Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from naturally caused fires. Always practice safe, responsible open fire use. Anyone found in contravention of an open-burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, may be required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, may be fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to a 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.

To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone.

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