Coming as no surprise to anyone who can breathe (or possibly can’t…), the Prince George Fire Centre is banning all open fires throughout the district, as hundreds of residents of the Peace River Regional District have had to be evacuated and the District of Taylor is on evacuation alert. (An evacuation alert for Fort St John was recently lifted.)
This prohibition applies to campfires (category 1 fires) as well as Category 2 and 3 fires, which have been banned for a couple weeks already.
The prohibition will remain in effect until 12:00 (noon) on Sunday, October 15, 2023 or until it is rescinded.
According to the PG Fire Centre, this prohibition “applies to all public and private lands unless otherwise specified.”
So can have a fire in your backyard? No, says Fire Chief Dustin Curry. “In addition to the surrounding area, this prohibition will apply to all private and public properties within the District of Tumbler Ridge itself. Individuals found in contravention to this ban may be issued a fine from the municipality in addition to one from the Province. “
He says that, as it stands, the ban will affect District plans, too. “Unfortunately, the ban does mean that the Canada Day fireworks display planned for this year will need to be postponed to a later date.”
In addition to prohibiting the use of open fire of any size, the following activities remain prohibited:
- The use of tiki and/or similar kinds of torches
- The use of chimineas
- The use of outdoor stoves or other portable campfire apparatus without a CSA or ULC rating
- The use of fireworks and sky lanterns
- The use of burn barrels or burn cages of any size
- The use of binary exploding targets or air curtain burners
However, CSA-rated or ULC-rated outdoor stoves and portable campfire apparatuses that use gas, propane or briquettes may be used.
Do note that if conditions get worse, the use of these may be restricted or prohibited.
While access to the backcountry remains open, note that this, too, might be restricted if dry conditions continue. If in doubt, check the BC Wildfire Service Bans and Restrictions webpage for the most current prohibitions.
Anyone found in contravention of an open-burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, may be required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, may be 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.
“The B.C. government recognizes that camping is a long-standing tradition in this province and that people enjoy having campfires, so it takes any decision to implement a campfire ban very seriously,” says the PG Fire Centre release. “Multiple factors are taken into consideration when assessing wildfire hazards and deciding whether to implement an open fire prohibition, including: current and forecasted weather conditions; the availability of firefighting resources; and the Buildup Index (BUI).”
The BUI rating is an estimate of the total amount of fuel available for combustion on the landscape, says the government. “It takes into account the fuel’s moisture content, since that can affect fire intensity. Campfire prohibitions are implemented based on the particular region’s BUI values. The BUI allows the province’s six fire centres to follow a consistent and scientific process for evaluating the need for campfire prohibitions. Wildfire prevention is a shared responsibility. Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from lightning-caused wildfires.”
Curry says not being able to have campfires can suck, but it’s for the greater good. “The precautionary measures that we take now as a community will influence the rest of the summer season for Tumbler Ridge. Please do your part and make fire safety a primary concern as you enjoy all that Tumbler Ridge has to offer.”
For updates on the current wildfire situation, including full incident details for Wildfires of Note, please visit BCWildfire.ca. You can follow the latest BC Wildfire news on:Twitter at: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfoFacebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfoThe free BCWS mobile app, available to download for Apple and Android devices.To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, please call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free, *5555 on a cell phone or directly through the BC Wildfire Service mobile app.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
