British ColumbiaCampfires will be prohibited starting Monday at noon PT in the Prince George Fire Centre, including much of north-central and northeast B.C.Bans to begin at 12 p.m. Monday amid unseasonably warm and dry September conditionsAkshay Kulkarni · CBC News · Posted: Sep 08, 2025 2:28 PM EDT | Last Updated: September 8Campfires will be banned starting Monday at noon in much of northern B.C. as fire risk remains high well into September in the province. (Martha Dillman/CBC)Campfires will be prohibited starting Monday at noon PT in large parts of northern B.C.The B.C. Wildfire Service says the ban will cover the Prince George Fire Centre, which encompasses much of north-central and northeast B.C.The order comes amid an unseasonably hot and dry start to September that’s seen multiple temperature records broken and wildfire risk increased dramatically.Most of the province remains under an air quality advisory due to wildfire smoke, and wildfire risk remains high throughout B.C.Nearly all of B.C. is at high fire danger on Sept. 7, amid an unseasonably warm and dry start to the month. (B.C. Wildfire Service)Campfires — which fall under Category 1 fires, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service — are fires that are no more than half a metre high by half a metre wide, though outdoor stoves will still be allowed under the campfire ban.Anyone breaching the ban could be hit with a $1,150-violation ticket, an administrative penalty of up to $10,000, or fines of up to $100,000 and one year in jail if convicted in court.Larger Category 2 and Category 3 fires — which include larger stubble fires and large burn piles — are already prohibited throughout B.C. The campfire prohibition in the Prince George Fire Centre will last until Oct. 17, unless it is rescinded earlier.Campfires have been prohibited on the South Coast since July 16, where some campers were handed nearly $30,000 in fines for flouting the ban in July.They are also prohibited throughout the southern Interior in the Kamloops and Cariboo fire centres, and have been banned since the Labour Day long weekend.The B.C. Wildfire Service says it implements campfire bans to alleviate the risk of human-caused wildfires, based on the fire risk in each region.WATCH | Thousands in fines handed out for campfire ban violations: Conservation officers issue thousands of dollars worth of fines over B.C. Day long weekendDozens of people across B.C. have a ticket burning in their pockets. Conservation officers say they handed out tens of thousands of dollars worth of tickets for violating campfire bans over the B.C. Day long weekend. CBC’s Dan Burritt spoke with reporter Renée Lukacs about the flurry of fines.”Wildfire prevention is a shared responsibility. Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from lightning-caused wildfires,” reads a statement from the service.As of Monday morning at 10:20 a.m. PT, most of the fires burning in B.C. — 78 per cent — were caused by lightning.But throughout the 2025 season, the number of human-caused wildfires hasn’t been too far behind the number of those sparked by lightning.Data on Monday shows that 674 fires in 2025 were caused by lightning, while 492 were caused by human activity.There are just under 150 wildfires burning in B.C. as of Monday morning, with the most concerning being a cluster of fires in the Chilcotin region that have caused hundreds to leave their homes.ABOUT THE AUTHORAkshay Kulkarni is an award-winning journalist who has worked at CBC British Columbia since 2021. Based in Vancouver, he is most interested in data-driven stories. You can email him at akshay.kulkarni@cbc.ca.
Campfires to be banned in much of northern B.C. as fire risk remains elevated
