Category 3 fire ban- grass and open fires prohibited

Southeast Fire Centre issued restriction on June 8

Category 3 fire ban is in effect for the Southeast region of B.C. Campfires and logging activity is not included in this ban. Check local restrictions before lighting an outdoor fire. (Photo: Encyclopedia Britannica)

Category 3 fire ban is in effect for the Southeast region of B.C. Campfires and logging activity is not included in this ban. Check local restrictions before lighting an outdoor fire. (Photo: Encyclopedia Britannica)

Effective at noon Pacific Time on Friday, June 8, Category 3 open burns were prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, which includes the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District and the Selkirk Natural Resource District.

Campfires and forest use restrictions are not currently in effect.

Specifically, a Category 3 prohibition applies to:

– the burning of any material (piled or unpiled) larger than two metres high or three metres wide;

– stubble or grass fires over an area larger than 2,000 square metres; and

– the burning of more than two piles of any size.

BC Wildfire Service may implement bans restricting open fire depending on current and anticipated weather conditions. This can extend to campfires, fireworks, Tiki torches, burn barrels, and sky lanterns. These prohibitions are put in on a regional basis, and affect all Crown and private land not under the jurisdiction of a local authority (such as a municipality or First Nation.)

The current prohibition applies to all public and private land, unless specified otherwise, in a local government bylaw. Before lighting any fires, Public Safety and Emergency Services recommends checking with local government authorities for any other restrictions before lighting any fire. Further information http://bcfireinfo.for.gov.bc.ca/. To report a wildfire, call 1 800 663-5555 or *5555 on a cell. The fire information line is 1 888 336-7378.

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