Open burning allowed again in parts of Southeast Fire Centre
By Southeast Fire Centre
BC Wildfire Service said in a media releast that effective at 12:00 noon Pacific Time on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, the category 3 open burning prohibition will be rescinded in the Columbia, Arrow and Kootenay Lake fire zones, all open burning will be permitted in those zones.
Category 3 open burning will remain prohibited in the Cranbrook, Invermere, and Boundary fire zones.
This means that the following activities stay prohibited in the Cranbrook, Invermere, and Boundary fire zones:
Category 3 open fires, as defined in the Wildfire Regulation:
- Any fire larger than 2 metres high by 3 metres wide.
- 3 or more concurrently burning piles no larger than 2 metres high by 3 metres wide.
- 1 or more burning windrows.
- Stubble or grass burning over an area greater than 0.2 hectares.
These prohibitions apply to all public and private land unless specified otherwise (for example, in a local government bylaw). Please check with local government authorities for any other restrictions before lighting any fire.
A map of the affected areas and their associated prohibitions is available here.
Anyone lighting a Category 3 open fire must first obtain a burn registration number by calling 1 888 797-1717.
Anyone who lights a category 2 or 3 open fire must also comply with B.C.’s air quality control legislation. Check the local venting index by calling 1 888 281-2992 or clicking here.
Find information on the different types of open burning and the association rules and regulations here.
The Southeast Fire Centre extends from the U.S. border in the south to Mica Dam in the north, and from the Okanagan Highlands and Monashee Mountains in the west, to the B.C.-Alberta border in the east.
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