Fire bans issued across 3 B.C. regions ahead of forecasted heat wave

With temperatures expected to climb past 30 C in parts of British Columbia this weekend, fire bans will be in place to prevent human-triggered disasters.

With temperatures expected to climb past 30 C in parts of British Columbia this weekend, fire bans will be in place to prevent human-triggered disasters.

BC Wildfire Service announced Wednesday that Category 2 open fires will be prohibited across the Cariboo and Prince George fire centre regions, starting at noon on Thursday, May 11.

A ban on Category 3 open fires, which burn a larger square area, was issued for the same areas last week.

“This open burning prohibition will prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety,” BC Wildfire Service wrote in a notice on its website.

“This prohibition order does not apply to campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide (or smaller) or cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes,” the notice continued.

The affected areas in the Cariboo Fire Centre region includes the Cariboo Chilcotin Forest District, the 100 Mile House Forest District, the Quesnel Forest District and the Tsilhqot’in (Xeni Gwet’in) Declared Title Area.

Fireworks, sky lanterns, burn barrels, burn cages, binary exploding targets and air curtain burners are listed online as the types of activities and equipment use that will be banned in the region as of May 11 and through to Oct. 27, “or until the order is rescinded.”