Category 2 and 3 open fire prohibitions coming into effect across the Cariboo Fire Centre

Courtesy of the BC Wildfire Service:

April 21, 2026

3:40pm

Effective at 12:00 p.m. (noon) PDT on Thursday, April 23 , 2026,Category 2 and 3 open fires and associated equipment and activities will be prohibited across the entire Cariboo Fire Centre including the Tsilhqot'in (Xeni Gwet'in) Declared Title Area.   Prohibition Details All Category 2 and 3 open fires must be fully extinguished by 12:00 noon on Thursday, April 23 , 2026. The prohibitions will remain in place until 12:00 noon on October 31, 2026, or until the Orders are rescinded. These prohibitions apply to the entire Cariboo Fire Centre including the Tsilhqot'in (Xeni Gwet'in) Declared Title Area, the Cariboo Chilcotin Forest District, the 100 Mile House Forest District and the Quesnel Forest District. In addition, this prohibition applies to the following types of land within municipal boundaries: Parks, conservancies and recreation areas. Recreation sites, recreation trails, interpretive forest sites and trail-based recreation areas. Ecological reserves. Wildlife management areas. Private managed forest land. The following activities and use of the following equipment, materials and substances will also be prohibited: Binary exploding targets Fireworks, as defined in the Fireworks Act of BC Burn Barrels or Burn Cages Controlled air incinerators Air curtain burners Carbonizers   Please view a map of the prohibition area below.   Municipalities often follow BC Wildfire Service prohibitions or may impose different prohibitions based on conditions in their local area. If you are in a municipality, be sure to check if local prohibitions are in place. If you are within a regional district or improvement district, this prohibition applies as well as any local prohibition issued by the regional district or improvement district. BC Parks follows BC Wildfire Service prohibitions.   What is prohibited  A Category 3 open fire is a fire that burns: Material concurrently in three or more piles, each not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width. Material in one or more piles each exceeding 2 metres in height or 3 metres in width. One or more windrows each not exceeding 200 metres in length or 15 metres in width. Stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 hectares. A Category 2 open fire is a fire, other than a category 1 campfire, that burns: Material in one pile not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width. Material concurrently in two piles each not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width. Stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 hectares.   What is not prohibited This prohibition does not include Category 1 campfires that are 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide or smaller. Outdoor stoves as defined in the Wildfire Regulation 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.

Multiple additional factors are taken into consideration when assessing wildfire hazards and implementing open fire prohibitions, including: Drought conditions Current and forecasted weather Predicted wildfire behavior Firefighting resource availability

The BCWS YouTube page has a number of informative videos on Open Burning and Category 3 burns including the one linked here.

The BCWS YouTube page has a number of informative videos on Open Burning and Category 2 burns including the one linked here.

Penalties Anyone found in contravention of an open fire prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000, or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced for up to one year in jail. If your fire causes or contributes to a wildfire, you may be fined up to $1 million and/or sentenced to up to 3 years in jail, as well as be responsible for all firefighting and associated costs.   Reporting To report an unattended campfire or open burning violation calling call the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277. To report illegal fires in a local fire department’s jurisdiction, call 9-1-1. Dial *5555 on a cell phone or call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free to report a wildfire. Use the Report function in the BC Wildfire App to report a wildfire. Reporting though the app lets you upload images and can be used without service.   Stay in the know For the latest information on current wildfire activity, prohibitions and restrictions, road closures, and air-quality advisories please visit BCWildfire.ca, the BC Wildfire Map, or use the BC Wildfire app.   Follow the latest wildfire news on: Facebook Instagram YouTube BC Wildfire App: available for Apple and Android   Contact Fire Information Officer Cariboo Fire Centre | BC Wildfire Service 778 799-2100 CaFCInfo@gov.bc.ca