October 7, 2025 - All Open Fire Prohibitions Lifted Across the Prince George Fire Centre

October 7, 2025 - All open fire prohibitions lifted across the Prince George Fire Centre

PRINCE GEORGE – Effective at 12 p.m. (noon) PDT on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, Category 2 and Category 3 open fire prohibitions are rescinded for the Fort St. John Fire Zone, Dawson Creek Fire Zone and Fort Nelson Fire Zone (Peace Forest District and Fort Nelson Forest District).

As of October 7, 2025, all categories of open fire (Category 1 campfire, Category 2 open fire, Category 3 open fire) are permitted across the Prince George Fire Centre.

The following activities, equipment and materials which were previously prohibited, are now permitted across the Prince George Fire Centre:

Fireworks, including firecrackers
Sky Lanterns
Burn Barrels or Burn Cages of any size or description
Binary exploding targets
BC Wildfire Service prohibitions apply to all public and private lands unless otherwise specified (e.g., in an enactment or local government bylaw). Contact your local authority before lighting a fire of any size, as they may have bylaws in place governing open fire use.

Anyone planning a Category 3 open fire is required to register the burn in advance. To obtain a burn registration number, call 1-888-797-1717 or email hpr.1800@gov.bc.ca.

Anyone lighting a Category 3 open fire must also adhere to legislative requirements and best practices. This includes finding out and adhering to the rules of the smoke sensitivity zone you reside in, as well as consulting the Ventilation Index and only burning on days when the index is good. Details about how to conduct a Category 3 burn are available online.

Definitions of Category 1, Category 2 and Category 3 open fire:

“Category 1 campfire” an open fire that burns piled material no larger than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide.

“Category 2 open fire” an open fire, other than a campfire, that burns material in one pile not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
burns material concurrently in 2 piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width, or
burns stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 ha (2,000 square metres).

“Category 3 open fire” an open fire that burns material concurrently in 3 or more piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
material in one or more piles each exceeding 2 m in height or 3 m in width,
one or more windrows, or
stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 ha (2,000 square metres).

While recent cold weather and precipitation have slowed fire activity for much of B.C., fire danger remains elevated in northeastern parts of the Prince George Fire Centre. This includes elevated Duff Moisture Code values, a measure of the average moisture content of loosely compacted organic layers of moderate depth and an indicator of whether lightning-caused fires can hold over for days or weeks, as well as the Buildup Index, a numeric rating of the total amount of fuel available to burn.

In these regions and across the Prince George Fire Centre, we encourage the public to continue being careful with the use of any open fire. It is the responsibility of the individual to ensure that burning is done in a safe and responsible manner in accordance with regulations.

Contact:

Prince George Fire Centre Information Team
BC Wildfire Service | Ministry of Forests
250-561-4629