Campfires are once again permitted in the Southeast Fire Centre and the City of Castlegar.
Separate press releases were issued by both the BC Wildfire Service and the Castlegar Fire Department informing the public that as of noon on Friday campfires will be allowed both within the fire centre area and the city.
“Campfires are defined as being no larger than one meter in diameter. Campfires must be contained within a fire pit or ring and located on private property a minimum of three meters away from any structures, fences, property lines, easements and overheads like trees, power poles and power and utility lines,” stated the Castlegar Fire Department’s press release.
“In addition, only clean, dry campfire wood is to be used for the purposes of cooking and warmth. There must be a water supply present and minors must be supervised by a competent adult. Please be considerate of your neighbours when hosting campfires and never leave campfires unattended.”
Open-air burning and the burning of prohibited materials are still banned both in the fire centre and in city limits.
For an explanation of the different categories of open burning visit ow.ly/znny309kJv5.
The use of “sky lanterns, binary exploding targets, air curtain burners, fireworks (including firecrackers) and burning barrels or burning cages of any size or description remain prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre,” according to the BC Wildfire Service press release.
But the use of tiki torches and chimineas are also allowed again as of noon on Friday.
In the event of a violation, the person responsible could face municipal fines, provincial fines of $1,150, the cost of firefighting services, an administration penalty of up to $10,000 and, if convicted in court, a fine of up to $100,000 and/or a sentence of up to one year in jail.