Campfire bans lifted in region

The campfire bans have been banned.

“Campfire bans will be fully rescinded throughout the Prince George Fire Centre, Cariboo Fire Centre and Kamloops Fire Centre,” said Forrest Tower, a fire information officer with the Prince George branch of the BC Wildfire Service.

The lifting of the campfire restrictions took effect at noon, Friday, allowing for some weekend recreation options.

The use of fire still has some limits, though. The cooler and wetter conditions this past couple of weeks has reduced the risk of wildfire, but not erased it completely. Therefore, the following activities remain prohibited throughout the Prince George Fire Centre:

• Category 2 and Category 3 open fires, as defined in the Wildfire Regulation.

• The use of air curtain burners (forced-air burning systems).

• The use of sky lanterns.

• The use of fireworks, including firecrackers.

• The use of burn barrels or burning cages of any size or description.

• The use of binary exploding targets (e.g., for target practice).

That limits campfires to a size of no more than half a metre high and half a metre wide, and you must have suitable firefighting tools at the ready (eight litres of water and/or a shovel).

According to deputy fire chief Blake King of Prince George Fire-Rescue Service, the lifting of the ban on common campfires applies within the city boundaries as, well.

“Its been such a nasty summer for smoke and no ability to enjoy the outdoors like we like to do, so it’s nice to see the weather cooperate a little bit,” said King.

King reminded homeowners within city limits that there is a set of rules for having backyard campfires. The policy is mapped out within the municipal clean air bylaw and states that:

• A recreational fire must be contained in a permanent outdoor fireplace or fire pit not larger than 60 cm in diameter that is designed and constructed to confine the fire.

• No person shall have a recreational fire if an air quality advisory has been issued. If the fire was started prior to the issuance of the air quality advisory, that person shall take all reasonable steps to extinguish the fire within an hour of the advisory being issued.

• No person shall burn yard and garden waste, garbage or noxious materials. Only seasoned wood (dried a minimum of six months) may be burned.

• All persons maintaining a recreational fire shall be competent to do so, continuously control and supervise the fire, and possess at the site extinguishing equipment appropriate for the size of fire.

• The recreational fire shall not be allowed to come within three metres of any property line, fence, standing timber, brush or building.