Due to the current condition of high fire danger rating in the area, the City of Penticton is implementing a temporary fire ban.
Until further notice, all open burning, including campfires, fireworks, will be prohibited in the City of Penticton. This open burning ban is in effect to protect public safety and to limit the risk of person-caused wildfires.
The ban is in place in conjunction with the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen, including Summerland, Oliver, Osoyoos, Princeton, Keremeos, Hedley Improvement District and the Ministry of Forest and Range, BC Forest Service – Kamloops Fire Centre.
The ban prohibits any open fires within the city, including on beaches. Fire pits along Skaha Lake and Okanagan Lake have been covered and closed to public use until further notice.
This ban does not restrict fires in cooking stoves using gas, propane or briquettes, or to a portable campfire apparatus with a CSA or ULC rating (providing the flame height does not exceed 15 centimetres) but does restrict fires in portable wood burning fireplaces and campfires. Campers and hikers are also asked to exercise caution while in remote areas.
Anyone found in violation of an open fire ban, including campfires, may be issued a ticket. Anyone who causes a wildfire through arson or recklessness may also be fined up to $1 million, spend up to three years in prison and be held accountable for associated firefighting costs.