Prince George, B.C. – Rain and cooler temperatures have allowed the provincial government to ease fire restrictions in the Prince George Fire Centre.

Effective noon this Wednesday, Category 3 open fires will once again be allowed throughout the Prince George Fire Centre’s jurisdiction.

A Category 3 fire is any fire larger than 2 metres high by 3 metres wide.

However, Category 2 open burning (1 to 2 concurrently burning piles no larger than 2 metres high by 3 metres wide) is still prohibited.

The current prohibition in the Prince George Fire Centre does not ban campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, and it does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes.

Anyone found breaking an open burning ban may be issued a 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.

For a detailed explanation of the different categories of fire bans hit the following link: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/wildfire-status/fire-bans-and-restrictions/bcws_openfireregsposter.pdf.