Come 12:00 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday), Category 2 open burns will be prohibited throughout the Prince George Fire Centre’s jurisdiction.
The expansion is to reduce the risk of wildfires and protect public safety as the weather forecast begins to rise following the wet conditions over the weekend.
“It was in the Prince George Forest District, as well as the Stuart Nechako Forest District, and it has now been expanded to the entirety of the Prince George Fire Centre,” BC Wildfire Service’s Molly Blower told MyPGNow. “That’s due to increased fire risk in the northern portions of the fire centre now, and there are hot and dry conditions in the forecast.”
This prohibition applied to all public and private land unless specified otherwise. Exceptions might have to do with a local government bylaw.
The following activities are prohibited:
- the open burning of any material smaller than two metres high and three metres wide.
- stubble or grass fires over an area smaller than 2,000 square metres.
It’s important to note that this prohibition does not apply to category 3 fires or campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, however, anyone lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire area. A proper method of extinguishing the fire is also required.
Anyone found going against the prohibition may receive penalties or fines of upwards to $10,000, or could possibly be sentenced to one year in jail.
In the event that the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.