Starting at noon on Friday, May 16, some open fires will be banned in the Fort Nelson and Peace Forest Districts, which cover the northeastern corner of British Columbia.
Included in the ban are category two and three open fires.
“This prohibition is being implemented to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety due to the high grass fire hazard, persistent drought conditions and increased incidence of human-caused wildfires associated with Category 2 and Category 3 open burning,” said a release put out by the BC Wildfire Service on Tuesday, May 13.
Category two fires are defined as one pile of material not greater than two metres high and three metres wide, two piles of material not greater than two metres high and three metres wide and stubble or grass burning in an area smaller than two square kilometres.
Category three fires include three or more piles of material not greater than two metres high and three metres wide, any pile of material taller than two metres or wider than three metres, windrows smaller than 200 metres in length and 15 metres wide and stubble or grass burning in an area larger than two square kilometres.
Fireworks, sky lanterns, burn barrels, burn cages and binary exploding targets are also prohibited.
However, the ban does not include category one fires, which are campfires equal in size or smaller than a half-metre high and a half-metre wide as well as gas, propane or briquette cooking stoves.
Areas covered by the prohibition include the Fort Nelson, Fort St. John and Dawson Creek fire zones. The ban includes Crown land within municipalities but not other lands under municipal jurisdiction.
Those found violating the bans could face fines of up to $1,150, administrative penalties of up to $10,000, court convictions worth up to $100,000 as well as one year in jail. If a prohibited fire causes a wildfire, the person who started it could be made responsible for firefighting costs.
When this article was written, the BC Wildfire Service was reporting 30 active wildfires in the province.
Of those, 24 were in the Prince George Fire Centre, the largest of BC’s six regional fire centres. It borders the Yukon to the north, Alberta to the east, the Cariboo, Kamloops and Southeast fire centres to the south and the Northwest Fire Centre to the west.
The closest wildfire to Prince George is located near Hixon, which the wildfire service considers under control. After being discovered on May 2, it briefly led to an evacuation order from the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George that was rescinded within 24 hours.
If you spot a wildfire, call the BC Wildfire Service immediately at 1-800-663-5555 or from a cell phone call *5555.
