(UPDATE) Ban on open fires of any size coming into force in Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson fire zones

Updated, June 4th, 12 p.m.: A press release from the Prince George Fire Centre included incorrect information saying air curtain burners were included in the ban. They are in fact not prohibited and the story has been amended.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A ban on any open fire of any size is coming into effect in Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson fire zones tomorrow. 

The Prince George Fire Centre has announced category one burning will be forbidden from 12 noon on Thursday, June 5th until Wednesday, October 15th, or until the order is rescinded. It does not apply to properties in the city or in municipal boundaries.

Category one burning prohibitions mean only devices approved by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC) which use charcoal briquettes, liquid or gaseous fuel may be used, and the flame must not be taller than 15 cm.

It also bans the use of fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns, burn barrels or burn cages of any size, binary exploding targets, chimineas and tiki or similar kinds of torches. 

The prohibition applies to all public and private lands unless otherwise specified. 

People who violate the ban could face a $1,150 ticket, be required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, be fined up to $100,000 and sentenced to a year in jail.

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

The fire centre said it considered multiple factors when implementing the ban, including weather forecasts, the availability of firefighting resources and the Buildup Index (BUI), which is an estimate of the amount of natural fuel available for combustion in an area.

This comes as BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) battles multiple large wildfires in northeast B.C., including two which have prompted evacuation alerts and orders: a blaze near the Kiskatinaw River and another near Summit Lake. 

BCWS currently considers Fort St. John and other areas of northeast B.C. to be in an ‘extreme’ danger of new wildfires sparking. 

For more information about the ban, click here.