Ban on category 3 fires going into effect in the Okanagan, Thompson-Nicola region

The first fire ban of the 2025 wildfire season is coming into effect for the Kamloops Fire Center.

Although parts of the Southern Interior are getting a bit of rain and some highway mountain passes got a bit of snow, the BC Wildfire Service says category three open fires will soon be banned.

As of noon on Friday, May 16, open fires that burn material concurrently in three or more piles each not exceeding two metres in height and three metres in width will be prohibited.

Fires that burn material in one or more piles each exceeding two metres in height or three metres in width will also be banned.

The ban is in effect for the entire Kamloops Fire Center, which starts at the Canada-US border south of Osoyoos and stretches north past Clearwater and stretches from just west of Revelstoke towards Lillooet.

Below is a full map of the impacted area.

The BCWS said the ban on category three fires will be in effect until noon on Oct. 17 or until the order is rescinded.

Category one and two fires and campfires are still allowed where permitted.

“Municipalities often follow BC Wildfire Service prohibitions or may impose different prohibitions based on conditions in their local area,” a news release said. “If you are in a municipality, be sure to check if local prohibitions are in place.”

Anyone who disobeys the 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.

This is the second fire ban of the year.

On May 6, the BCWS said category two and three fires would be banned in the Cariboo region as of May 7.

^{Thumbnail photo credit: BCWS}