A campfire ban will be back in effect this weekend. Starting Saturday, August 10 at noon, the Northwest Fire Centre will implement a Category 1 (campfire) prohibition, excluding the Cassiar Zone.

BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) said on Aug. 9 that they are implementing category 1 prohibition as risk of wildfire is too great in the region at the moment. 

BCWS said they took into consideration multiple factors including the level of fire activity, fire danger ratings, weather indices, potential for lightning, risk of human-caused fires, fuel types, volatility, availability of firefighting resources, and the amount of fuel available on the landscape to burn.

Those found violating open burning prohibitions can face significant fines.

Over the August long weekend, 18 violation tickets for illegal campfires were issued in the Coastal Fire Centre alone, totalling $20,700 in fines ($1,150 each). 

Each of B.C.鈥檚 six regional fire centres decide when and where to implement open fire prohibitions within their respective jurisdictions. The process for determining fire risk is complex and may differ from one part of the province compared to another, depending on local conditions.