Effective at 8 a.m. on Monday, July 10, 2017, all open fires - including campfires - will be prohibited throughout the Northwest Fire Centre鈥檚 jurisdiction to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

According to the Northwest Fire Centre, this prohibition is being implemented due to current weather conditions and the volume of fires that the B.C. Wildfire Service is responding to in the province.

鈥淢ore lightning is in the forecast, and firefighting resources must focus on existing fires and new, naturally occurring fires,鈥� explained Olivia Pojar, fire information officer for the Northwest Fire Centre.

This prohibition does not apply to CSA-rated or ULC-rated cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to a portable campfire apparatus that uses briquettes, liquid or gaseous fuel, so long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres.

Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

To report a wildfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.

Read the full story in the July 12 edition of Lakes District 亚洲天堂.