Open burning season in the Regional District of Central Okanagan begins Thursday.
Open burning is restricted to those property owners that are eligible and have a permit from their local fire authority and only when air quality and venting conditions are appropriate.
Under regional district and local fire bylaws when the fire hazard allows, permitted open burning may start Oct. 1 and must be complete on April 30.
Fire chiefs may change the dates depending on the fire hazard in their area.
Eligible property owners must obtain a permit from their local fire department.
Those eligible to burn within the four Central Okanagan East or Central Okanagan West electoral area fire districts may obtain a permit by calling the Regional District at 250-469-6223 (long distance collect calls are accepted) weekdays only between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., excluding holidays.
Before lighting any fire, property owners with a valid permit must call the toll-free outdoor burning hotline 1-855-262-2876 (BURN). It will tell them if open burning is allowed on a particular day. Both the venting and air quality conditions must be good in order for burning to occur within Central Okanagan fire jurisdictions. This information will be available each day after 8 a.m. at regionaldistrict.com/airquality.
