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September 12, 2014 - 8:29 AM
SALMON ARM - There's good news for late summer campers who like to huddle around the campfire on a chilly night. Starting at noon Monday, Sept. 15, open fires will be permitted in the entire Clearwater fire zone and areas above 1,200 metres in the Salmon Arm fire zone now that the risk of wildfires has decreased.
Fires larger than a half-metre high by a half-metre wide are still prohibited for the rest of the Kamloops Fire Centre until Oct. 15. or until the public is told otherwise.
This partial rescinding of the open fire prohibition applies to all B.C. parks, crown lands and private lands but doesn't apply within the boundaries of local governments that have forest fire prevention bylaws and are serviced by fire departments. Local civic authorities should be contacted for any local restrictions before lighting a fire.
Anyone lighting a fire must have sufficient personnel, water and tools on hand to prevent the fire from escaping.
Anyone lighting a Category 3 fire must first obtain a burn registration number by calling 1-888-797-1717 and must comply with air quality control legislation.
A category 3 fire is a fire that burns:
- material piled more than two metres high or three metres wide
or
- stubble or grass over more than 0.2 hectares
or
- more than two piles of any size
The Kamloops Fire Centre stretches from the northern border of Wells Gray Park near Blue River to the U.S. border in the south, and from the Bridge River Glacier west of Gold Bridge to the Monashee Mountains east of Lumby.
For more information visit www.bcwildfire.ca.
Image Credit: Contributed
News from © iNFOnews, 2014