No open fires allowed in Prince George Fire Centre, British Columbia

Effective at noon Thursday, June 24, all medium- and large-sized open fires are prohibited across the Prince George Fire Centre’s jurisdiction to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

Specifically this prohibits:

· Burning waste, slash or other material, whether piled or unpiled, that is larger than 0.5 metres in height or 0.5 metres in width.
· More than two piles of waste, slash or other burning, whether piled or unpiled, that are of any size.
· Stubble or grass burning over any area.
· Fireworks of any size or description.

The ban does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to open fires, including campfires, that are a half-metre by a half-metre or smaller. Please ensure campfires are not lit or kept burning during windy conditions, that adequate tools, water and people are on hand to contain a fire and that fires are fully extinguished before leaving the area.

This prohibition covers all BC Parks, Crown and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of local governments that have forest fire prevention bylaws and are serviced by a fire department. Please check with civic authorities for any restrictions before lighting a fire.

Anyone contravening an open fire prohibition may be issued a ticket for $345, or, if convicted, be fined up to $100,000 and sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person may be subject to a penalty of up to $10,000 and be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

The Prince George Fire Centre is currently experiencing dry conditions and elevated fire hazard. Human-caused wildfires continue to draw resources away from unpreventable wildfires caused by lightning.

The Prince George Fire Centre covers the area from the Yukon and Northwest Territories in the north to Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, Cottonwood River and Robson Valley in the south; and from the Alberta border in the east to the Skeena Mountains in the west.