Columbia Valley Pioneer staff
Columbia Valley residents are reminded that all Category 3 open fires in the district are prohibited.
The ban was established on May 30 to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety. It will remain in place until October 30.
A Category 3 open fire is a fire that burns:
• Material in three or more piles, each not exceeding two metres in height and three metres in width
• Material concurrently in one or more piles, each not exceeding two metres in height and three metres in width
• One or more windrows each not exceeding 200 metres in length or 15 metres in width
• Stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 hectares
This prohibition applies to all areas in the Southeast Fire Centre that are outside of municipal boundaries. In addition, the ban applies to the following types of land within municipal boundaries:
• Parks, conservancies and recreation areas
• Recreation sites, recreation trails, interpretive forest sites and trail-based recreation areas
• Ecological reserves
• Wildlife management areas
• Private managed forest land
The prohibition does not include Category 1 campfires or Category 2 open fires.
The Southeast Fire Centre is asking anyone who conducted a Category 3 pile burn over the fall or winter to check their burn site(s) and ensure they are fully extinguished.
