B.C. fire bans begin Thursday ahead of long weekend

As B.C. continues to raise concerns over drought and unseasonably warm weather, multiple regions of the province are under a fire ban as of Thursday.

As of 12 p.m. on March 28, all fires bigger than a campfire are banned in the Cariboo and Prince George fire centres.

The Category 2 and 3 fire bans were announced in mid-March, with BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) Fire Information Officer Madison Dahl telling CityNews at the time that the decision stemmed from a lack of precipitation and a warm winter.

“We’ve had an unseasonably dry and warm winter compounded with a very dry fall. We’re experiencing record drought throughout the province and we do have concerns about open burning,” she said.

The fire restrictions, which also prohibit things like fireworks and sky lanterns, will likely be in place until November in the Prince George region, and Oct. 15 in the Cariboo region.

Parts of the Northwest Fire Centre are also under a burn ban, including the Bulkley and Nadina fire zones.

“Multiple factors are taken into consideration when assessing wildfire hazards and deciding whether to implement Open Fire Prohibitions, including drought conditions, current and forecasted weather, the availability of fire fighting resources, and the Buildup Index (BUI),” the BCWS said last week.

“This prohibition is being implemented to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety due to the high grass fire hazard, persistent drought conditions, and increased incidence of human-caused wildfires associated with Category 2 and Category 3 open burning.”

According to the BCWS, anyone who’s found burning materials larger than a campfire may be issued a $1,150 ticket, be required to pay a penalty of up to $10,000, or, if convicted in court, face a fine of up to $100,000 and a year in jail.

The province explained earlier this month that B.C. is expecting an early start to the wildfire season, with underlying drought conditions and the likelihood of a warmer-and-drier-than-usual spring on the horizon.

The province said that while strong El Niño conditions are “fading,” the residual heat in the Pacific Ocean continues to support the forecast for warmer and drier-than-normal conditions into spring.