By Times Chronicle Staff
Category 1 campfires will again be permitted throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre, the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) said today (Sept. 24). The campfires will be permitted effective 12 noon on Sept. 29.
Category 2 and 3 open fires remain prohibited throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre.
“As the campfire prohibition is being lifted, we ask the public to remain vigilant and follow all regulations when enjoying campfires,” the BCWS urged.
A campfire is defined as:
- Any fire no larger than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide (a fire larger than this is considered a Category 2 fire).
- Used by any person for recreational purposes or by a First Nation for a ceremonial purpose.
The following activities remain prohibited:
- Air curtain burners;
- Carbonizers;
- Binary exploding targets;
- Fireworks;
- Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description, except when used for a Category 1 campfire;
- Controlled air incinerators.
Other activities which were previously banned, but will now be permitted include:
- Sky lanterns;
- Wood-fired hot tubs, wood-fired pizza ovens and other wood-fired devices, including those vented through a structure that has a flue and is incorporated in a building.
Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $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.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663 5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone. For up-to-date information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, call 1 888 3-FOREST or visit: bcwildfire.ca.
