Open fires will continue to be forbidden in the Kamloops fire centre region until Halloween thanks to tinder dry conditions.
Wildfire Centre authorities extended the open fire ban due to ongoing warm and dry weather, according to a news release. As much as 70 per cent of the region remains at a high or extreme fire danger rating.
The ban applies to Clearwater and Salmon Arm at elevations below 1,200 metres, and in Kamloops, Vernon, Penticton, Merritt and Lillooet at all elevations.
It prohibits burning of any material piled larger than a half-metre high by a half-metre wide, the burning of stubble or grass and the use of fireworks or burning barrels.
Anyone found in violation of the ban can be fined up to $345. Anyone who causes a wildfire through arson or recklessness can be fined up to $1 million, spend up to three years in prison and be held accountable for associated firefighting costs.
The open fire prohibition covers all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands. The City of Kamloops has its own bylaws that prohibit open fires.
For the latest information on wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to bcwildfire.ca.
