Image Credit: Kamloops Fire Centre / BC Wildfire Service
BURN RESTRICTIONS

Fire bans coming into effect for Kamloops Fire Centre

Jun 8, 2019 | 7:12 AM

KAMLOOPS — As of Wednesday next week (June 12), Category 2 and 3 open fires will be restricted throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre.

Part of preventing human-caused wildfires means those burns, using certain equipment, and other activities will be put on hold until noon of October 15, 2019, or until the order is rescinded.

Anyone conducting Category 2 or 3 burns within the jurisdiction of the Kamloops Fire Centre must have them extinguished by June 12.

A map of the area this includes can be found here.

Notably, this ban does not apply to campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide (or smaller), and it doesn’t include cooking stoves that use gas, propane, or briquettes.

Prohibited activities include:

  • 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 (pre-packaged or homemade explosives such as Tannerite, Thundershot, Gryphon, Firebird SS65, Sure Shot, or similar products).

Unless stated otherwise, these bans apply to all public and private land within the fire centre.

People should still check with local governments to see if any other burn restrictions are in effect.

If someone chooses to continue burning during the ban, they could face fines of $1,150, be required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000, or if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and sentenced to one year in jail.

If someone’s ban violation causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may have to foot the bill for all the firefighting, and associated costs.