The B.C. Wildfire Service is issuing a ban on both Category 2 and Categoy 3 open fires as temperatures are set to soar over the weekend in the Southeast fire region.
The ban will come into effect at noon on Friday, June 25.
The prohibition is being implemented due to increased fire danger ratings caused by a warming trend throughout the Southeast Fire Centre, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service and will remain in effect until noon on Oct. 9, 2021, or until the order is rescinded.
A map of the affected area is available online at: http://ow.ly/jPBK50Fh7DF
Prohibited activities will also include category 2 and 3 open fires, fireworks, sky aanterns and and burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description, except when used for a campfire as defined by the Wildfire Regulation.
This prohibition does not ban campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller and does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes.
READ MORE: Record-breakingly hot temperatures forecast for B.C. this weekend
Prohibitions apply to all public and private land, unless specified otherwise (e.g., in a local government bylaw). Check with local government authorities for any other restrictions before lighting any fire.
Anyone found in violation 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 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.
To report a wildfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.
To date, there are no active wildfires in the Southeast region, according to the B.C. wildfire dashboard.
It’s expected to be a particularly bad summer for wildfires in the province, as many areas are experiencing a dry start to summer and scorching heat breaks records.
For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to: bcwildfire.ca.
