From noon next Thursday (June 30), category 3 fires will be banned in the Southeast B.C.

Campfires will remain permitted: A category 3 fire is any fire that is larger than 2m high by 3m wide, meaning the ban applies to burn piles, windrows and burning grass. A category 3 ban is also in place for the Cariboo and Kamloops fire regions.

The B.C. Wildfire Service has implemented the prohibition to help prevent any wildfires and ensure public safety. B.C. will be experiencing its first warm spell in coming days, with Environment Canada issuing a special weather statement warning of high temperatures across the province from Saturday through to early next week.

Anyone conducting a category 3 fire across the Southeast Fire Centre’s jurisdiction must have it fully extinguished by noon on that day. No timeline for the ban was shared, with the ban to remain in place until otherwise notified, and applies to both public and private land.

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 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.

Keep up to date on wildfire activity, burning restrictions, and the difference between a campfire, category 2 and category 3 fire at the BC Wildfire website.

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