Fire prohibitions on some activities and certain equipment will go into effect starting at noon on June 12 in the Kamloops Fire Centre.
The prohibition does not ban campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide (or smaller) and does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes.
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Category 2 and Category 3 open fires, which includes the burning of one or more open fires larger than one metre high by two metres wide, stubble or grass fires of any size, the use of fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns, tiki torches (and similar kinds of torches; the use of burning barrels and burning cages of any size or description and the use of binary exploding targets.
Effective at noon on Wednesday, June 12, 2019, Category 2 and Category 3 open fires, as well as some other activities and the use of certain equipment, will be restricted throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre to help prevent human-caused wildfires. pic.twitter.com/2my19G7rc9
— Penticton Fire Dept. (@pentictonfire) June 8, 2019
This prohibition will remain in effect until noon on Oct. 15, 2019, or until the order is rescinded. Anyone conducting Category 2 or Category 3 burns within the Kamloops Fire Centre’s jurisdiction must extinguish those fires by the June 12 deadline.
These prohibitions apply to all public and private land within the Kamloops Fire Centre, unless specified otherwise (e.g., in a local government bylaw). BC Wildfire suggests that before lighting any fire, people should check with local government authorities to see if any other burning restrictions are in effect.
Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $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.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation by calling 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.
To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
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