The BC Wildfire Service (BWWS) will be implmenting a Category 2 and 3 open fire ban iin the Fort Nelson and Peace Forest Districts (Dawson Creek, Fort St. John and Fort Nelson Zones).
Starting on Friday at noon, open burning will be banned. This prohibition does not ban Category 1 (campfires) that are a half-metre high by half-metre wide or smaller, or the use of cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes.
BCWS said the ban is being enacted to prevent human-caused wildfires and to protect public safety. The prohibition wiill remain in effect until October 15th.
A Category 2 open fire refers to any fire that burns:
- One pile of material not exceeding 2 metres high and 3 metres wide
- Two piles of material, each not exceeding 2 metres high and 3 metres wide
- Stubble or grass over an area less than 0.2 hectares (2,000 square metres
A Category 3 open fire refers to any fire that burns:
- Three or more piles of material, each not exceeding 2 metres high and 3 metres wide
- Any pile of material larger than 2 metres high or 3 metres wide
- Windrows not exceeding 200 metres in length and 15 metres in width
- Stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 hectares (2,000 square metres)
Additional Prohibited Activities and Equipment
The following activities and use of the following equipment, materials and substances are also prohibited:
- Fireworks
- Sky lanterns
- Burn barrels or burn cages of any size
- Binary exploding targets
Where This Prohibition Applies
This prohibition applies to all areas of the Fort Nelson and Peace Forest Districts (Dawson Creek, Fort St. John and Fort Nelson Zones) that are outside municipal boundaries.
It also applies to the following types of Crown land within municipal boundaries:
- Parks, conservancies, and recreation areas (Park Act)
- Recreation sites, trails, and interpretive forest sites (Forest and Range Practices Act)
- Ecological reserves (Ecological Reserve Act)
- Wildlife management areas (Wildlife Act)
- Private managed forest land (Private Managed Forest Land Act)
