BC Wildfire Service is putting in place a province-wide campfire prohibition in effect as of Friday, July 12 at noon. From this date prohibitions now include Category 1 campfires, and Categories 2 and 3 open fires. Prince Rupert and surrounding area’s are part of the prohibition. This will remain in effect until the Order is rescinded.
You can learn more about the definitions of these fires online at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions/open-burning
To view the Northwest Fire Centre Prohibition Areas map, and get more information about this Fire Ban, visit https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/public-urged-to-exercise-extreme-caution-ahead-of-upcoming-campfire-ban-in-northwest-fire-centre/
In addition, the following activities and equipment are also restricted:
• Fireworks, including firecrackers;
• Sky lanterns;
• Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description;
• Binary exploding targets;
• Air curtain burners;
• Tiki and similar kind of torches; and,
• Chimineas
This prohibition does not include the use of outdoor stoves. As per the Wildfire Regulation, an outdoor stove is a CSA-rated or ULC-rated device used outdoors for cooking, heat or ambiance that burns charcoal briquettes, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel, and has a flame height that is less than 15 centimetres tall.
You can also learn more about province-wide fire restrictions online at Fire bans and Restrictions – Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca).
For questions or to report prohibited fires please call the Prince Rupert Fire Department at 250-627-1248 (non-emergency). Call 9-1-1 to report any emergencies.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire in the backcountry or open burning violation, call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free, *5555 on a cell phone or submit directly through the BC Wildfire Service mobile app.