Prince George, B.C.- The Prince George Fire Centre has advised that as of noon today, Category 2 open fires and fireworks will be banned in most of the Prince George Fire Centre region. 

The Prince George Fire Centre extends from the Yukon and Northwest Territories borders in the north to Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, Cottonwood River and Robson Valley in the south, and from the Alberta border in the east to the Skeena Mountains in the west.  

The ban covers the entire Prince George Fire Centre with the exception of the Fort Nelson Fire Zone, north of Buckinghorse River.

The ban will remain in place until Sept. 30, 2012 and applies to:

• The burning of any material, piled or unpiled, smaller than two metres in height and three metres in width, including burning barrels.
• Fireworks.
• Stubble or grass fires over an area less than 2,000 square metres.  

The ban does not prohibit campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, or apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes. People lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable material from around the campfire area, and they must have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire.

People lighting larger fires or more than two fires of any size must comply with burning regulations and must first obtain a burn registration number by calling 1 888 797-1717.  

This ban covers all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of local governments that have forest fire prevention bylaws and are serviced by a fire department. Check with civic authorities for any current restrictions before lighting any fire.