For Immediate Release
July 30, 2021
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations
and Rural Development
BC Wildfire Service
Campfires prohibited in the Robson Valley Fire Zone
ROBSON VALLEY—Effective at noon (Pacific time) on Friday, July 30, 2021, campfires will be prohibited throughout the Robson Valley Fire Zone.
The prohibition will remain in effect until noon on October 15, 2021, or until the order is rescinded.
Multiple factors are taken into consideration when assessing wildfire hazards and deciding whether to implement an open fire prohibition, including: current and forecasted weather conditions; the availability of firefighting resources; and the Buildup Index (BUI).
The BUI rating is an estimate of the total amount of fuel available for combustion on the landscape. It takes into account the fuel’s moisture content, since that can affect fire intensity.
Campfire prohibitions are implemented based on the particular region’s BUI values. The Buildup Index allows the province’s six fire centres to follow a consistent and scientific process for evaluating the need for campfire prohibitions.
Though conditions in the majority of the Prince George Fire Centre have met the criteria to rescind the campfire ban due to recent rainfall and cooler temperatures, the Robson Valley Fire Zone has remained warm and dry. As a result of this weather pattern, the BUI threshold for a campfire ban in the Robson Valley Fire Zone has been met.
Camping is a long-standing tradition in this province. The B.C. government recognizes that people also enjoy having campfires, so it takes any decision to implement a campfire ban very seriously.
Wildfire prevention is a shared responsibility. Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from lightning-caused wildfires.
A campfire is defined as any fire smaller than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide. In addition to campfires, Category 2, and Category 3 open fires, the following activities are also prohibited:
The use of fireworks
The use of sky lanterns
The use of burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description
The use of binary exploding targets
The use of tiki and similar kinds of torches
The use of chimineas
The use of outdoor stoves or other portable campfire apparatus without a Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Underwriter Laboratories of Canada (ULC) rating
The use of air curtain burners
For a map of the Robson Valley Fire Zone boundaries, please visit: http://ow.ly/GEYk30rPviD
A poster explaining the different categories of open burning and applicable regulations is available online: www.gov.bc.ca/openfireregs.
To report a wildfire or an open burning violation, call *5555 on a cell phone or 1-800-663-5555 toll-free. For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, visit: http://www.bcwildfire.ca.
Follow the latest wildfire news:
· on the free BC Wildfire Service public mobile app for Apple (iOS) and Android
· on Twitter: twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
· on Facebook: facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo
Contact:
Prince George Fire Centre Communications Team
BC Wildfire Service
Prince George Fire Centre
250 318-7768
Connect with the Province of B.C. at www.gov.bc.ca/connect.
