A Category 1 campfire is to be prohibited in the Southeast Fire Centre from July 23.
Effective at 1:00 PM MT on July 23, Category 1 campfire will be prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre, which includes Cranbrook, Kimberley, Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District and the Selkirk Natural Resource District.
This prohibition is being enacted to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.
Anyone conducting a Category 1 campfire within the Southeast Fire Centre’s jurisdiction must extinguish it by the 1:00 PM MT, July 23, 2026, deadline.
This prohibition will remain in place until 12:00 noon Pacific Time October 31, 2026, or until the order is rescinded.
A Category 1 campfire is a fire that burns:
1. No larger than 0.5 metres in height and 0.5 metres in width
2. Used for recreational purposes or by a First Nation for ceremonial purposes
Also prohibited is the equipment and activities listed below (Wildfire Act, Section 12):
• Air curtain burners
• Carbonizers
• Fireworks as defined in the Fireworks Act of BC
• Binary exploding targets
• Burn barrels or burn cages or any size or description
• Controlled air incinerators
• Sky lanterns
• Wood-fired hot tubs, wood-fired pizza ovens, and other wood-fired devices unless vented through a structure that has a flue and is incorporated in a building.
This prohibition does not include the use of outdoor stoves.
As per the Wildfire Regulation, an outdoor stove is a CSA-rated or ULC-rated device used outdoors for cooking, heat or ambiance that burns charcoal briquettes, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel and has a flame height that is less than 15 cm tall.
Reminder that Category 2 open fire have been prohibited since July 10, 2026, and Category 3 open fire have been prohibited since May 21, 2026.
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