British ColumbiaFire restrictions remain in place in much of the province as of Sept. 18.Fire prohibitions remain in effect for much of provinceThe Canadian Press · Posted: Sep 18, 2025 6:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours agoThe Beef Trail Creek wildfire is seen on Aug. 29, 2025, in B.C.’s Interior. (Submitted by B.C. Wildfire Service)The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says fire season is expected to continue into the fall in British Columbia as risks for new blazes remain for much of the province.The service’s seasonal outlook says the risk is especially high in the Cariboo region and the southwestern Interior.It says thunderstorms and lightning tend to decrease as fall arrives, but terrain remains dry and susceptible to human-caused fires.The wildfire danger rating is unlikely to be lowered until seasonal patterns shift to a fall-like pattern of stormier weather that brings substantial rainfall to the Prince George and Kamloops fire centres, the outlook says.WATCH | Jasper pays Valemount back for fire support:B.C. community reimbursed for Jasper wildfire evacuation helpThe Village of Valemount in B.C. has been paid back $302,585 by the Municipality of Jasper. The village has distributed that money to businesses who helped Jasper wildfire evacuees last year. But as Travis McEwan reports, there are still concerns about the losses the B.C. community incurred during the disaster.B.C. has experienced a late-summer heat wave this week, with daily temperature records falling in both coastal and Interior communities.The wildfire service says there are 124 wildfires burning in the province, eight of which started in the last 24 hours.”As a result of the late summer’s record-breaking heat wave, combined with ongoing drought, people in B.C. are encouraged to be prepared for the risk of wildfire this fall,” BCWS says.The service also says in its latest daily update that residents in the northern Interior of B.C. may see hazy conditions in the coming days due to nearby wildfires in the Cariboo region.The Lower Mainland and the South Okanagan, meanwhile, could also see some smoke from wildfires in the United States.Fire prohibitionsFire restrictions remain in place in much of the province as of Sept. 18. Campfires are banned in the Cariboo, Kamloops and Prince George fire centres, as well as part of the Coastal fire centre.Category 2 and 3 open fires are banned everywhere except the northwest fire centre. However, Category 3 fires are prohibited in the northwest in the Nadina Fire Zone and the Bulkley Fire Zone, including the Nadina Forest District and the Skeena portion of the Skeena Stikine Forest District. Anyone caught having a fire in an area where fires are currently not allowed may be issued a ticket of up to $1,150, be required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000 or, if convicted in court, could be ordered to pay $100,000 and/or be sentenced to up to one year in jail. With files from CBC News
B.C. wildfire season extends into fall, until stormier weather arrives
