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Campfire Ban Ends

Category 2 & 3 Open Fire Ban still in Effect

EFFECTIVE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2025 | 12:00pm (noon)

The City of Merritt follows the fire bans issued through the Kamloops Fire Centre. Effective Monday, September 29, 2025, at 12:00pm, all small-confined fire (campfire) will again be permitted. City of Merritt fire permits are again valid.

Category 1 campfires are again allowed in the City of Merritt. Residents must possess a valid permit (view the City of Merritt’s Fire And Safety Regulations, Bylaw 2272).

Note that the use of tiki torches, sky lanterns and burning barrels are always prohibited within the City of Merritt, regardless of parameters set by the Kamloops Fire District.

The City of Merritt also does not ever allow Category 2 and 3 open fires (not exceeding 2 meters in height) at any time. Only small confined fires (not exceeding 0.5 meters in height) are allowed with a permit, except during a fire ban.

Note that the Kamloops Fire Centre has banned Category 2 and 3 fires. Category 3 effective noon May 16, 2025Category 2 fires effective noon June 13, 2025. This includes additional equipment such as burn barrels, controlled air incinerators, exploding targets, and fireworks. Note that Category 2 and 3 open fire bans remain in effect even while Category 1 campfires are lifted.

FIREWORKS RESTRICTED

While the Kamloops Fire Centre may allow fireworks when Category 2 restrictions are permitted, the City of Merritt Fire Safety Bylaw, Section 9.3, states “No Fireworks may be offered for sale or used except between the dates of October 16 and November 1st in each year. The sale or use of fireworks outside these days may be permitted with the written authorization of the Fire Chief.”

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KAMLOOPS FIRE CENTRE NEWS RELEASE:
Category 1 campfires are banned at noon on Thursday, August 28, 2025.

Category 1 campfires will again be allowed, effective Monday, September 29, 2025.

VIEW NEWS RELEASE

Category 1 Campfires permitted throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre

September 24, 2025

KAMLOOPS – Effective at 12:00 noon Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) on Sept. 29, Category 1 campfires will be permitted throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre. Category 2 and Category 3 open fires remain prohibited throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre. As the campfire prohibition is being lifted, we ask the public to remain vigilant and follow all regulations when enjoying campfires. To learn more about open fire and safer burning, check out our webpage here.

A map of the affected area is available here.

A campfire is defined as:

  • Any fire no larger than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide (a fire larger than this is considered a Category 2 fire).
  • Used by any person for recreational purposes or by a First Nation for a ceremonial purpose.

The following activities remain prohibited:

  • Air curtain burners
  • Carbonizers
  • Binary exploding targets
  • Fireworks, as defined in the Fireworks Act of BC
  • Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description, except when used for a Category 1 campfire as defined in the Wildfire Regulation
  • Controlled air incinerators

Other activities which were previously banned, but will now be permitted include:

  • Sky lanterns
  • Wood fired hot tubs, wood fired pizza ovens and other wood fired devices, including those vented through a structure that has a flue and is incorporated in a building

The rescind of this prohibition applies to all areas in the Fire Centre that are outside of municipal boundaries. In addition, this rescindment applies to the following types of land within municipal boundaries:

  • parks, conservancies and recreation areas (Park Act);
  • recreation sites, recreation trails, interpretive forest sites and trail-based recreation areas (Forest and Range Practices Act);
  • ecological reserves (Ecological Reserve Act);
  • wildlife management areas (Wildlife Act); and
  • private managed forest land (Private Managed Forest Land Act).

Municipalities often follow BC Wildfire Service prohibitions or may impose different prohibitions based on conditions in their local area. If you are in a municipality, be sure to check if local prohibitions are in place. If you are within a regional district or improvement district, this rescindment applies as well as any local prohibition rescindments issued by the regional district or improvement district. BC Parks follows BC Wildfire Service prohibitions.

Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, 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.

The Kamloops Fire Centre would like to thank the public for its ongoing help in preventing wildfires. To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663 5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone. For up-to-date information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, call 1 888 3-FOREST or visit: www.bcwildfire.ca.

People can follow the latest wildfire news:

  • on the free BC Wildfire Service app, available for Apple (iOS) and Android devices
  • on Facebook

Contact:

Fire Information Officer
Kamloops Fire Centre
BC Wildfire Service
250-554-5965

Follow the Latest Wildfire News

CITY OF MERRITT BYLAW 2272  |  FIRE AND SAFETY REGULATIONS BYLAW

Reference item 13 “Outdoor Fires,” citing “No fire may be lit unless a Permit has been issued for the parcel of land.”

Connect with the Thomson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD)

For Fire Protection services outside of the municipal boundaries of the City of Merritt, visit the Thomson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD).

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