Open fires prohibited in PGFC and through most of province

themacktownbuzzette
Prince George Fire Centre on Tuesday reinstated a campfire ban throughout the Fire Centre, including Mackenzie Fire Zone. Effective at noon on Thursday, June 8, all open fires are prohibited throughout the Prince George Fire Centre.

The prohibition applies to campfires (Category 1), Category 2 and Category 3 open fire as defined in the Wildfire Regulation and remains in effect until October 15 unless rescinded. Prohibitions apply to all public and private lands unless otherwise specified (e.g. in an enactment or local government bylaw).

In addition to open fire of any size, the following activities are prohibited:
  • Fireworks Sky lanternsBurn barrels or burn cages of any size or descriptionBinary exploding targetsAir curtain burnersChimineas, tiki and similar kinds of torches

The prohibition does not include the use of CSA-rated or ULC-rated outdoor stoves that burn charcoal briquettes, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel, and have a flame height of less than 15 centimetres. Anyone found in contravention of an open-burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, may be required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, may be 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.

Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from lightning-caused wildfires.For updates on the current wildfire situation, including full incident details for Wildfires of Note, please visit BCWildfire.ca. You can follow the latest BC Wildfire news on: Twitter at: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo The free BCWS mobile app, available to download for Apple and Android devices.To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, please call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free, *5555 on a cell phone or directly through the BC Wildfire Service mobile app. 

Please check the BC Wildfire Service Bans and Restrictions webpage for the most current prohibitions.

Note: Early paper copies of the June 1 issue of The Buzzette have outdated fire ban information.

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