Category 3 fire prohibitions to start in Kamloops Fire Centre – 12:00pm noon, May 3rd.

Category 3 fire prohibitions to start in Kamloops Fire Centre – 12:00pm noon, May 3rd.

Questions? Contact:

Fire Department Operations Manager

Garett J. Lawrence

250-306-8477

[email protected]

Fire Chief/ Bylaw Officer

David W. Lawrence

250-306-7027

[email protected]

KAMLOOPS – Effective at 12:00 pm (noon) on May 3, 2024, Category 3 open fires will be prohibited throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre. This prohibition is being enacted to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

This prohibition will remain in effect until 12:00 (noon) PDT on Oct. 11, 2024, or until the order is rescinded. Anyone conducting Category 3 open fires within the Kamloops Fire Centre’s jurisdiction must extinguish those fires by the noon, May 3, 2024 deadline.

A map of the affected area is available here.

Specifically, this prohibition refers to the following activities:

“Category 3 open fire” which means an open fire that burns

1. material concurrently in 3 or more piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
2. material in one or more piles each exceeding 2 m in height or 3 m in width,
3. one or more windrows, each not exceeding 200 m in length or 15 m in width, or
4. stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 ha.

These prohibitions apply to all public and private land within the Kamloops Fire Centre jurisdiction, unless specified otherwise in an enactment (e.g. in a local government bylaw). 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.

This prohibition does not include Category 1 campfires or Category 2 open fires. More information on the types of open burning can be found here: http://ow.ly/LnVi50OpCwj

The Kamloops Fire Centre would like to thank the public for its continuing help in preventing wildfires. To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 6635555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone. For up-to-date information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, call 1 888 3-FOREST or visit: www.bcwildfire.ca

People can follow the latest wildfire news:

• on the free BC Wildfire Service public mobile app, available for Apple (iOS) and Android devices
• on Twitter: twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
• on Facebook: facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo