Effective noon on Thursday, Sept. 7 2023, the Category 1 campfire prohibition will be rescinded in the Quesnel Forest District, 100 Mile House Forest District and the Cariboo-Chilcotin Forest District on the east side of the high-water mark of the Fraser River as shown in following map.
Multiple factors are taken into consideration when assessing wildfire hazards and deciding whether to implement or rescind Category 1 campfire prohibitions, including: current and forecasted weather conditions and fire behaviour; the availability of firefighting resources; and the Buildup Index (BUI).
A Category 1 fire, or campfire, is defined as an open fire that burns piled material no larger than 0.5 metres high and 0.5 metres wide.
If lighting or using a campfire, it is necessary to take the following precautions:
Have ready access to a shovel or at least eight litres of water the entirety of the time the campfire is lit
Make sure there is a fuel break around the campfire, free of any debris or combustible materials
The fire is fully extinguished and the ashes are cold to the touch before leaving the campfire for any length of time
A reminder that currently, there are Category 2 and Category 3 prohibitions in place throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre including the Tsilhqot’in (Xeni Gwet’in) Declared Title Area.
Fireworks, sky lanterns, burn barrels or burn cages of any size, binary exploding targets and air curtain burners are still prohibited.
This year the campfire ban went into effect on Friday, July 7.
monica.lamb-yorski@wltribune.com
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