A fire ban is now in effect across BC. The ban on category 2 and category 3 open burning, which started at 12 p.m. on Thursday, May 18 will remain in effect until October 28, 2023. This includes the Southeast Fire Centre, which Revelstoke is a part of.
In a statement, the BC Wildfire Service said the ban is “to help prevent wildfires caused by category 2 and 3 open burning and to protect public safety.”
A category 2 open fire is one which:
- burns material in one pile not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
- burns material concurrently in 2 piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width, or
- burns stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 ha.
Category 3 open fires are described as:
- material concurrently in 3 or more piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
- material in one or more piles each exceeding 2 m in height or 3 m in width,
- one or more windrows, each not exceeding 200 m in length or 15 m in width,
- stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 ha.
In addition, the following are also prohibited:
- Fireworks
- Binary exploding targets
- Sky lanterns
- Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description
- Air curtain burners
Category 1 fires – campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, or cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes are still allowed.