INFORMATION BULLETIN

2010FOR0115-000881 July 26, 2010

Ministry of Forests and Range Cariboo Fire Centre

 

CAMPFIRES PROHIBITED ACROSS THE CARIBOO FIRE CENTRE

 

WILLIAMS LAKE – Effective at noon Thursday, July 29, all open burning, including campfires and fireworks, will be prohibited across the Cariboo Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, including Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, to help prevent human-caused wildfires and to protect public safety.

 

This prohibition is necessary due to dry forest fuels and a forecast for a prolonged period without substantial rain. The public is urged to exercise caution on forested land with any activity that could lead to a wildfire. Please discard cigarettes carefully and limit movement of ATVs and motorcycles through tall grass and undergrowth.

 

This ban applies to open fires of any size, including campfires, fires with a burn registration number and industrial burning, fireworks, tiki torches and burning barrels.

 

The ban does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to portable campfire apparatus with a CSA or ULC rating using briquettes, liquid or gaseous fuel, as long as the flame is kept under 15 centimetres in length.

 

The ban covers the Cariboo Fire Centre’s entire jurisdiction, and, in addition, Tweedsmuir Park. Details are available at http://bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNews/Bans.asp

 

Within this area, the ban covers all BC Parks, Crown and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of local governments that have forest fire prevention bylaws and are serviced by a fire department. Please check with civic authorities for any restrictions before lighting a fire.

 

Anyone found in violation of an open fire ban, including campfires, may be issued a ticket for $345. Should a wildfire occur as a result of recklessness, a person can be fined up to $1 million or spend three years in prison and be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

 

The ban will be in place until the public is otherwise notified. 

 

The Cariboo Fire Centre covers an area of about 10.3 million hectares, stretching from Clinton (Loon Lake) to the south, north to Cottonwood River just north of Quesnel, east to the western boundary of Wells Gray Provincial Park and west to the western boundary of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park (see attached map).

 

To report a wildfire or unattended campfire please call *5555 on your cell or toll-free 1 800 663-5555.

 

For the latest information on fire activity, conditions and prohibitions, visit the Wildfire Management Branch website at www.bcwildfire.ca.

 

For Facebook and Twitter updates, as well as details about evacuation orders and alerts, road conditions and air quality advisories, go to www.firesafebc.ca

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Contact:

Grace Pickell Fire Information Officer Cariboo Fire Centre 250 989-2665 (office) 250 392-0171 (cell)

 

For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.