Campfires are now allowed in most of the Northwest Fire Centre as of noon today except for the Nadina Fire Zone. That means a fire ban on all fires will continue in the areas of Houston, Topley, Gransile, Burns Lake and Vanderhoof.
In the Nadina Forest District, the following activities will remain prohibited:
* campfires
* Category 2 and Category 3 open fires
* the use of sky lanterns, binary exploding targets and burning barrels or burning cages of any size or description
* the use of tiki torches, fireworks and firecrackers
* the use of outdoor stoves
* the use of stoves and other portable campfire apparatuses that are not CSA-approved or ULC-approved
Fire bans, including campfires, differ in every municipality, and the BC Wildfire Service is encouraging the public to contact local authorities to find out more.
Telkwa Fire Chief Laurence Turney says campfires will be allowed in the village with category 2 and 3 fires still prohibited.
The Town of Smithers also lifted their campfire ban as of noon yesterday.
Fire Information Officer Olivia Pojar says only campfires – 1/2 metre by 1/2 metre – will be allowed in the Skeena Stikine Forest District (the Cassiar Fire Zone and Bulkley Fire Zone) and the Coast Mountain Forest District (the Skeena Fire Zone). Category 2 and 3 open fires, however, will be prohibited along with sky lanterns, binary explosive targets and burning cages.
Pojar says the Nadina Fire Zone hasn’t been graced with the same weather as the rest of the northwest.
“So it’s still quite dry and in the evenings the temperature isn’t dipping as low as other areas in the northwest,” says Pojar. “Also, there’s still three large fires burning in the Vanderhoof Forest District that is right on the border with the Nadina area. So it’s the same kind of fuel type.”
Pojar says if a fire starts under the conditions in the Nadina, it can burn and spread quickly compared to the cooler, more wet areas. She says the area from Houston to Burns Lake ranges in moderate to high on the fire danger rating scale, with patches of extreme south of Vanderhoof.
Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of $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.