Effective at 1 p.m. Mountains Standard Time, this past Friday, July 15, Category Two open fires will be prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre (which includes the entire Kootenay region) to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety. This prohibition will remain in place until Oct. 15 or until the public is otherwise notified. 

The ban means no burning of open fires larger than two metres, and no burning stubble or grass over an area less than 0.2 hectares,. It also means no fireworks, sky lanterns, exploding binary targets, air curtain burners, burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description, except when used for a campfire as defined by the Wildfire Regulation. This prohibition does not ban campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller and does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane, or briquettes.

Breaking the ban can result in a ticket of $1,150, an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or in extreme cases, fines up to $100,000 and a one-year jail sentence. Break the ban and cause a wildfire, and you may in fact be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs. To report a wildfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 , or *5555 on a cellphone.