For Immediate Release 
 
August 30, 2023
Ministry of Forests
BC Wildfire Service

Partial Category 1 (Campfires) ban in Prince George Fire Centre 
PRINCE GEORGE – Effective at 12:00 (noon) on Thursday, August 31, 2023, Category 1 (campfires) are prohibited across the VanJam, Mackenzie and Fort Nelson fire zones in the Prince George Fire Centre. This prohibition applies to campfires (Category 1) as defined in the Wildfire Regulation.
 
This prohibition covers the Stuart, Mackenzie and Fort Nelson Forest Districts and will remain in effect until 12:00 (noon) on Sunday, October 15, 2023 or until it is rescinded. Prohibitions apply to all public and private lands unless otherwise specified (e.g. in an enactment or local government bylaw). A map outlining the area of this prohibition is below.
 
In addition to prohibiting the use of open fire of any size, the following activities are prohibited:

• Fireworks
• Sky lanterns
• Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description
• Binary exploding targets
• Air curtain burners
• Chimineas
• Tiki and similar kinds of torches
• Outdoor stoves or other portable campfire apparatus without a CSA or ULC rating

This prohibition does not include the use of outdoor stoves. As outlined in the Wildfire Regulation, an outdoor stove is a CSA-rated or ULC-rated rated device used outdoors for cooking, heat or ambiance, that burns charcoal briquettes, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel, and has a flame height less than 15 centimetres tall.
 
Please check the BC Wildfire Service Bans and Restrictions webpage for the most current prohibitions for your area.
 
Anyone found in contravention of an open-burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, may be required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, may be 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.



 
Please note: Red indicates areas where all Category 1, 2 and 3 open fires are banned while yellow indicates Category 2 and 3 open fires are banned.
 
Multiple factors are taken into consideration when assessing wildfire hazards and deciding whether to implement an open fire prohibition, including: current and forecasted weather conditions; the availability of firefighting resources; and the Buildup Index (BUI).
 
The BUI rating is an estimate of the total amount of fuel available for combustion on the landscape. It takes into account the fuel’s moisture content, since that can affect fire intensity.
 
Campfire prohibitions are implemented based on the particular region’s BUI values. The BUI allows the province’s six fire centres to follow a consistent and scientific process for evaluating the need for campfire prohibitions.
 
Wildfire prevention is a shared responsibility. Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from lightning-caused wildfires.
 
For updates on the current wildfire situation, including full incident details for Wildfires of Note, please visit BCWildfire.ca.
 
You can follow the latest BC Wildfire news on:

• Twitter at: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
• Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo
• The free BCWS mobile app, available to download for Apple and Android devices.

To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, please call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free, *5555 on a cell phone or directly through the BC Wildfire Service mobile app.
 
 
Contact:
Prince George Fire Centre Information Team
BC Wildfire Service | Ministry of Forests
250-561-4629
 
Connect with the Province of B.C. at www.gov.bc.ca/connect
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​More people are now entitled to register under the Indian Act   If you have a parent, grandparent or ancestor who was affected by sex-based inequities in the Indian Act, you may now be entitled to register. When an entitled woman married a non-entitled man before 1985, she lost her right to registration. That loss also affected her descendants’ rights to registration. Bill S-3 was introduced in an effort to address the impacts of this loss of status for all affected descendants. Please share this poster with your community to help increase awareness of the changes. More information is also available on the ISC website or by emailing aadnc.engagementinscriptionpn-fnregistrationengagement.aandc@canada.ca.

Dear Partners,
Today marks 18 years since Jordan River Anderson’s passing.
Jordan River Anderson was a young boy from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba who was born in 1999 with multiple disabilities. He lived over two years in a hospital because federal and provincial governments could not agree on who would pay for his at-home care. Unfortunately, Jordan passed away at the age of 5 on February 2, 2005 before he could experience living in a loving home.
Jordan’s passing ignited a movement to uphold human rights for all First Nations children through the creation of the child-first principle called “Jordan’s Principle." Jordan River Anderson's family gifted his name to Jordan's Principle, which now exists to ensure that First Nations children can access the services they need without denial, delay, or disruption
On behalf of the BC Region Jordan’s Principle team, we would like to extend our gratitude for your partnership and dedication to supporting First Nations children, youth and families to access the supports they need when they need them. Jordan's Principle ensures First Nations children can access the products, services and supports they need, when they need them, while we work with First Nations partners, provinces and territories to develop long-term approaches to help better address the unique needs of First Nations children it is in honour of Jordan River Anderson, that we do this work.
 For More Information:
 Jordan River Anderson
https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1583703111205/1583703134432
 Jordan’s Principle Hub of BC
Home - Jordan’s Principle Enhanced Service Coordination Hub for BC (jordansprinciplehubbc.ca)
Honouring Jordan River Anderson | First Nations Caring Society
https://fncaringsociety.com/what-you-can-do/ways-make-difference/jordans-principle/honouring-jordan-river-anderson
The Messenger:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/jordan-river-anderson-the-messenger/
​