Prince George, B.C.-  While campfires are still allowed  throughout the Province ( municipal restrictions may apply) the rules may change on  when  campfire  bans will be  issued.

“I have instructed  the Wildfire Management staff to  look at lowering the threshold for  when we put campfire bans in place” says Minister of Forests, Steve Thomson.  “I think we need to be extra vigilant given  what I anticipate we are heading to in the summer.  You always get a negative reaction when those campfire bans are put in place, but I  think we need to be a little more  proactive in putting those bans in place a little earlier and I think the public will understand that.”  It won’t happen this weekend,  but Thomson says it will happen  heading into the summer.

He also  called on  all back country users to  be responsible,  from using spark arresters on ATV’s ,  keeping ATVs on the trails and not  venturing into high grasses  and called  on smokers to be responsible  when it comes to discarding  cigarette butts.

A campfire  is  described as a fire that is no larger than half a metre high and half a metre wide  and is used for recreational  purpose.

Category 2 and 3 fires which are  banned in some areas of B.C.

Category 2 Open Fire is an open fire, excluding a campfire, that burns piled material no larger than two metres high and three metres wide, or grass over an area less than 0.2 hectares (2000 square metres) in size.

Category 2 fires are banned in the  Prince George Fire Centre,  Coastal Fire Centre, Kamloops and Cariboo Fire Centres.

Category 3 Open Fire  is an open  fire  that burns material in piles larger than two metres high and three metres wide, windrows, or grass over an larger than 0.2 hectares (2000 square metres) in size.

Category 3 fires are banned in  both the Kamloops and Cariboo Fire Centres.

“We know people want to  enjoy their time out there, but we just want to remind them to be extra vigilant throughout the weekend” says Minister of Forests Steve Thomson, especially since there are no campfire bans in place “So we really do want to see that people  act responsibly out there and obey the regulations.  We will have our Natural Resources Officers and our Conservation Officers out over the weekend making sure people comply with the regulations and they should know that if they don’t,  they face increased fines and consequences if they don’t obey the regulations.”