Category 2 and 3 fire bans coming for Cariboo Fire Centre

Apr 23, 2026 | 10:06 AM

WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. — The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) is implementing a ban on Category 2 and 3 fires in the Cariboo region, starting at 12:00 noon on Thursday (April 23).

The ban will stay in place until Oct. 31 this year or until the BCWS rescinds the order.

This applies to the entire Cariboo Fire Centre, including the Tsilhqot’in (Xeni Gwet’in) Declared Title Area, the Cariboo Chilcotin Forest District, the 100 Mile House Forest District and the Quesnel Forest District.

Some areas within municipal boundaries will also be included in the ban, such as parks, conservancies and recreation areas; recreation sites, trails, interpretive forest sites and trail-based recreation areas; ecological reserves; wildlife management areas; and private managed forest land.

The ban prohibits all burning activities except for campfires up to 0.5 metres by 0.5 metres, outdoor stoves, and CSA-rated or ULC-rated devices with flames 15 centimetres or less. This includes:

Two & Out

PETERS: The good, the bad and the ugly of the Pathways meeting

18h ago

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: April 23, 2026

Apr 23, 2026

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Creating good-paying jobs for British Columbians

Apr 23, 2026

Binary exploding targets
Fireworks
Burn Barrels or Burn Cages
Controlled air incinerators
Air curtain burners
Carbonizers

“Multiple additional factors are taken into consideration when assessing wildfire hazards and implementing open fire prohibitions, such as: drought conditions, current and forecasted weather, predicted wildfire behaviour and firefighting resource availability,” said BCWS officials.

Anyone found breaking an open fire prohibition can be ticketed up to $1,150, given an administrative penalty of $10,000, or fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced for up to one year in jail if convicted in court.

Illegal fires that beak out into a wildfire can lead to fines of up to $1 million, and/or up to three years in jail, plus covering all firefighting and associated costs.

by Elora McCormack

Click here to report an error or typo in this article

Category 2 and 3 fire bans coming for Cariboo Fire Centre

Our Community