Effective at 4 p.m. MDT on Monday, July 10, 2023, Category 1 campfires have been prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.
The Southeast Fire Centre (shown above) includes Fernie, the Elk Valley, South Country and the greater East Kootenays.
On July 10, 2023, the following open fires are prohibited in the Southeast Fire Centre:
• Category 1 campfires as defined in the Wildfire Regulation;
• Category 2 open fire as defined in the Wildfire Regulation; and,
• Category 3 open fire as defined in the Wildfire Regulation.
In addition to open fires being prohibited, the following activities and equipment are also restricted:
• Fireworks;
• Sky lanterns;
• Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description;
• Binary exploding targets;
• Air curtain burners;
• Tiki and similar kind of torches; and,
• Chimineas.
These prohibitions apply to all public and private land within the Southeast Fire Centre jurisdiction, unless specified otherwise in an enactment (e.g., in a local government bylaw.) Always check with local government authorities to see if any other burning restrictions are in effect.
The use of outdoor stoves is not prohibited. As per the Wildfire Regulation, an outdoor stove is a CSA-rated or ULC-rated device used outdoors for cooking, heat or ambiance that burns charcoal briquettes, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel, and has a flame height that is less than 15 centimetres tall.
Anyone found in contravention of an open fire prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000 or, if convicted in court, 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 Southeast Fire Centre would like to thank the public for its continuing help in preventing wildfires. To report a wildfire, call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone. For up-to-date information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, call 1-888-3-FOREST or visit: www.bcwildfire.ca
