BCWS lifts campfire, ORV restrictions in Boundary; Greenwood ban remains

Category 1 campfires are again permitted under regional BC Wildfire Service rules, while the BCWS prohibition on recreational off-road vehicle use on Crown land has also been lifted. Category 2 and 3 open fires remain prohibited, and Greenwood continues to have its own municipal fire ban.

BC Wildfire Service lifted its Category 1 campfire prohibition across the Southeast Fire Centre on Sept. 1, although Category 2 and 3 open fires remain prohibited. Greenwood continues to have a separate municipal fire ban.

BC Wildfire Service map

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Two wildfire restrictions that affected the Boundary through much of August have now been lifted. BC Wildfire Service ended the Category 1 campfire prohibition at noon Sept. 1 throughout the Southeast Fire Centre, several days after rescinding its regional prohibition on recreational off-road vehicle use on Crown land.

BC Wildfire Service said recent precipitation, improved overnight recoveries and current and forecast conditions had reduced the need for the Category 1 restriction, which had been imposed to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires.

The change means Category 1 campfires are again permitted under BC Wildfire Service rules where no separate local prohibition applies. Sky lanterns and wood-fired hot tubs, pizza ovens and similar wood-fired devices that were covered by the regional Category 1 prohibition are also permitted again under provincial rules.

The change does not apply uniformly inside every Boundary municipality.

The City of Greenwood continues to prohibit all open burning within city limits, including campfires of any size. Greenwood's municipal restriction also covers fireworks, sky lanterns, burn barrels and cages, binary exploding targets, air curtain burners, carbonizers and controlled-air incinerators.

Wood-fired hot tubs, pizza ovens and similar devices are also prohibited in Greenwood unless they are properly vented through a flue incorporated into a building. The city's current notice says the municipal restriction is scheduled to remain in effect until noon Oct. 31 unless it is rescinded earlier.

In Grand Forks, campfires are subject to the city's permit requirements. Grand Forks Fire/Rescue requires a campfire permit, and burning must comply with the conditions attached to that permit.

Category 2 and Category 3 open fires remain prohibited throughout BC Wildfire Service jurisdiction in the Southeast Fire Centre. Air curtain burners, carbonizers, fireworks, binary exploding targets, burn barrels or burn cages and controlled-air incinerators also remain restricted under the regional prohibition.

Those provincial restrictions generally apply outside municipal boundaries and also cover several types of land within municipalities, including provincial parks and recreation areas, recreation sites and trails, ecological reserves, wildlife management areas and private managed forest land. Local governments can impose additional restrictions within their own jurisdictions.

The easing of campfire restrictions follows BC Wildfire Service's decision to lift the regional recreational off-road vehicle prohibition at noon Aug. 28.

That restriction had been in place since Aug. 10 and applied to recreational use of all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles and off-road side-by-side vehicles on Crown land throughout the Southeast Fire Centre. BC Wildfire Service said recent precipitation across much of the Southern Interior had reduced wildfire risk enough to rescind the order.

Riders are still being asked to follow wildfire-prevention measures, including keeping vehicles maintained to manufacturer specifications and equipped with a safe and effective spark arrestor. Municipal restrictions and separate wildfire area restrictions can also continue to limit access in some locations.

BC Wildfire Service says conditions have improved but wildfire risk remains and can change quickly. Anyone heading into the backcountry should check current prohibitions and area restrictions before travelling, while anyone lighting a campfire should avoid windy conditions, maintain a fuel break, keep the fire attended and ensure it is fully extinguished before leaving.

Wildfires, unattended campfires and open-burning violations can be reported through the BC Wildfire App, by calling *5555 from a cellphone or by calling 1-800-663-5555.

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