Southeast Fire Centre ending Category 3 open fire ban Thursday

With air cooling and wildfires simmering down, the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has announced it will be rescinding an open fire ban in the Southeast Fire Centre this week.

At 1 p.m. on Thursday, October 16, Category 3 open fires will once again be allowed throughout the region, which includes:

• Material in three or more piles altogether, not exceeding two metres in height and three metres in width.
• Material in one or more piles exceeding the aforementioned size
• One or more windrows, none going over 200 metres in length or 15 metres in width
• Stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 hectares
• Carbonizers

“Check with your local government or other jurisdictional authorities before lighting a fire of any size and abide by any bylaws or restrictions that are in place in your area,” wrote BCWS in a release. 

Anyone planning to conduct a Category 3 open burn will need to obtain a free burn registration number in advance by calling 1-888-797-1717, which helps BCWS track open burning activity in the area.

More information is available through the B.C. government’s website.