Campfire Ban Coming into Effect August 4, 2022
Campfires will be banned in the City of Castlegar effective noon on Thursday August 4, 2022.
This follows the Southeast Fire Center ban announced earlier today. This prohibition will remain in effect until the Southeast Fire Center rescinds its order.
Category 2 and Category 3 open fires remain prohibited in Castlegar and throughout the Southeast Fire Center. The following activities are also prohibited: the use of sky lanterns, fireworks, burn barrels or burn cages, binary exploding targets, tiki, and similar kinds of torches, chimineas, air curtain burners, and outdoor stoves or other portable campfire apparatus without a Canadian Standards Association or Underwriter Laboratories of Canada rating.
“With extended high temperatures and dry conditions, we’re asking the community to take this ban very seriously,” says Fire Chief, Sam Lattanzio. “We do everything we can to keep our community safe and we’re now asking the community to take all the precautions to prevent fires during these times.”
Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, receive a penalty of up to $10,000 or be fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
Find more information on provincial fire restrictions at https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/campfires-to-be-prohibited-in-the-southeast/.