Campfire patrols will be out and about this weekend

By Boundary Sentinel

Fire wardens and other fire officials will be patrolling the Southeast Fire Centre this weekend to ensure campfire safety and compliance.

These patrols will target high-risk areas and ensure enforcement within areas such as Boundary and Christina Lake, where 26 abandoned campfires have been found this season.

Campers are reminded that failure to properly extinguish a campfire will result in a $345 fine. In addition, if their campfire escapes and causes a wildfire, they may be held liable for all resulting suppression costs and damages.

The fire danger rating is moderate to high throughout most of the Southeast Fire Centre region with a spot of extreme located in the Boundary area.

“Campfires are still allowed in the Southeast Fire Centre, but I don’t want people to start being complacent just because we haven’t had a busy fire season," Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson said, "Never leave your campfire unattended and remember what constitutes a legal campfire. They can be no larger than a half-metre by a half-metre, and at least eight litres of water or hand tools must be nearby to properly extinguish them.”

Quick Facts:

• There are currently open burning restrictions within the Southeast Fire Centre’s jurisdiction. For information on burn restrictions, please visit: http://bcwildfire.ca;
• Since April 1, the Southeast Fire Centre has responded to 72 wildfires, consuming a total of 39 hectares. Twenty-nine of those fires are confirmed as human-caused;
• A total of 127 campfire incidents have been reported in the Southeast Fire Centre. The five-year average for this time of year is 119;
• To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call *5555 on your cellphone or toll-free to 1 800 663-5555.

Learn More:

For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to: http://www.bcforestfireinfo.gov.bc.ca

You can also follow the latest wildfire news –

On Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/BCGovFireInfo
On Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo .