Category 2, 3 open fires are now completely banned in BC

Category two and three open burning is now prohibited across British Columbia.

Earlier this week, the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) announced that the Northwest and Southeast Fire Centres will see both categories of open fires prohibited as of noon on Friday.

Effective as of 12 p.m. PDT on July 5, 2024, Category 2 open fires will be prohibited across the entire Southeast Fire Centre. Anyone conducting Category 2 open fires within the Southeast Fire Centre’s jurisdiction must extinguish those fires by the Friday, July 5 deadline. pic.twitter.com/cVPLIW1UMG

— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) July 3, 2024

Category two and three fire bans began in the Coastal and Kamloops Fire Centres on May 17, however, those fire bans have been in place in the Prince George Fire Centre since Mar. 28.

The fire ban will be in place in the Southeast until the end of October, however, there is no definitive date given for the Northwest fire ban.

“This prohibition is being implemented due to an upcoming trend of warmer and drier weather,” says the BC Wildfire Service.

Earlier this week, Environment Canada warned of a heat wave that could be sending temperatures into the high 30s and even 40C near Kamloops.

Temperatures are expected to start climbing as early as Monday and will stick around for most of the week.

Effective at 12 p.m. (noon) on Friday, July 5, 2024, Category 2 and Category 3 open fires will be prohibited across the Nadina Fire Zone, Bulkley Fire Zone and part of the Skeena Fire Zone. pic.twitter.com/F8NurI70zB

— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) July 3, 2024

A Category 2 open fire that burns:

• Material in one pile not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width

• Material concurrently in 2 piles each not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width

• Stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 hectares

A Category 3 open fire includes:

• Material concurrently in 3 or more piles each not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width

• Material in one or more piles each exceeding 2 metres in height or 3 metres in width

• One or more windrows, none of which exceed 200 metres in length or 15 metres in width

• Stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 hectares

Category one campfires, or fires that are a half-metre high by a high-metre wide or smaller, are currently still allowed across BC, however.

Anyone found disobeying the fire bans may be issued a ticket for $11,50, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail, says the BCWS in the news release.

Additionally, if the fire causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay for all firefighting and other associated costs.