File photo (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

CAMPFIRES ALLOWED

Rare BC Day long weekend without a campfire prohibition from BCWS

Aug 1, 2025 | 3:47 PM

KAMLOOPS — While the interior of B.C. was just hit by a heat wave and the first heat warning of the year, the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has not been forced to enact a campfire ban in the Kamloops Fire Centre.

The fire danger rating around Kamloops is currently listed as moderate, as the overwhelming majority of wildfires this year have occurred in the northeast quadrant of the province.

“It’s been a real interesting summer. It’s been a couple days of warming and drying followed by a couple days of cooling, whether that is rainfall or cooler temperatures,” said BCWS Fire Information Officer Taylor Colman. “There hasn’t really been a need to implement a campfire prohibition at this point, which has been unusual for this area, compared to historically.”

While BC Wildfire has not enacted a campfire ban, they do remain prohibited anywhere within the city limits of Kamloops.

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BCWS also has some advice for anybody heading out into the back country this B.C. Day long weekend.

“If you are going to have a campfire, it has to be half-a-metre by half-a-metre or smaller. Ensure you have at least 8 litres of water and a hand tool to extinguish it,” said Colman. “Don’t burn when it’s windy, definitely less than ideal conditions to have a campfire in. And never leave it unattended. It’s quite easy for them to creep away, so make sure you have your eyes on it and extinguish it before you leave.”