After flooding rocked the B.C. Interior for much of May, the region’s attention now turns to fire season.
As of noon on Friday, May 19th, open burning will be restricted to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect the public.
Any Category 2 or Category 3 open burns must be extinguished by noon on Friday, with the prohibitions remaining in effect through the summer until October 15th.
Specific prohibitions include the burning of more than two open fires of any size at the same time, stubble or grass fires of any size, the use of fireworks or burning barrels of any size and the use of binary exploding targets.
It doesn’t include, however, campfires that are smaller than a half-metre high by half-metre wide.
It also doesn’t include cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes.
The prohibition covers all B.C. parks, Crown lands and private lands in the Kamloops fire region.
Before lighting any fire, residents should check with local government authorities to check if any other burning restrictions or bylaws are in effect.
Always check the venting conditions before conducting any open burn and if venting conditions are rated "poor" or "fair", open burning is restricted.
Fines for an open burning prohibition are over $1,000 and if convicted in court the offender could face fines up to $100,000 as well as jail time.
You can find the latest information on wildfire activity, conditions and prohibitions by visiting the B.C. Wildfire website.
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