Category 3 open fire

Prior to burning a category 3 open fire, the person responsible for the fire must:

• Ensure the open fire is not lit during a category 3 open fire prohibition
• Check with local authorities, such as a fire department, First Nation, municipality or regional district, to determine if your area has any additional restrictions or requires a permit from your local government to burn
• Register the fire to obtain an Open Fire Tracking System (OFTS) burn registration number
• Comply with any additional regulations and/or restrictions provided when you obtain your burn registration number
• Always comply with the Environmental Management Act and Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation
• Only light a fire if conditions are safe and will continue to be safe

A fuel break (sometimes called a firebreak) must be established and maintained around the category 3 open fire. Please review the Wildfire Regulation and Policy 9.12 for additional fuel break requirements during a category 3 open fire.

Smoke is a health hazard regulated under the OBSCR. The open burning rules outlined in the OBSCR are intended to minimize smoke and risk to human and environmental health.

Before you burn, visit the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation page for more information on:

• Burning alternatives, such as chipping or mulching
• Open burning rules based on smoke sensitivity zones
• The Ventilation Index (you may only burn on days when the forecast Venting Index is "Good"). View the Ventilation Index Interactive Map for the latest conditions in your area
• Record keeping  

To prevent the fire from spreading beyond the fuel break, the person responsible for the fire must ensure:

• A fire suppression system is available at the burn area, of type and capacity adequate for fire control if the fire spreads beyond the fuel break
• At least one individual is patrolling the fire at all times and is equipped with at least one firefighting hand tool
• The fire does not exceed the capacity of those patrolling the fire from spreading beyond the fuel break

If the category 3 open fire spreads beyond the fuel break or becomes out of control, the person responsible for the fire must:

• Carry out fire control measures immediately and extinguish the fire if practicable
• Report the escaped fire to the BC Wildfire Service as soon as possible. If the burn site falls within the jurisdiction of a local fire department, report the escaped fire by calling 9-1-1

When extinguishing a category 3 open fire, the person responsible for the burn must:

• Confirm full extinguishment of the category 3 open fire by the date specified by the official or person who issued the OFTS burn registration number
• Ensure the person who extinguishes the fire documents all actions taken to confirm the fire is completely extinguished
• Be prepared to provide documentation of actions taken to confirm extinguishment of a category 3 open fire at the request of an official, per Section 22(2.1) of the Wildfire Regulation

Users of category 3 open fires are encouraged to use a documentation method that aligns with their specific needs and practices. Documentation may include the following information: 

• Burn registration number 
• Name of the burn registration number holder 
• List and location of ignited piles 
• Date(s) of ignition and date(s) of active burning 
• Date by which the open fire was to be extinguished 
• Description and dates of the actions taken to confirm extinguishment 
• Description and dates of follow-up activities taken to confirm extinguishment 
• Name(s) of the person(s) who carried out the actions 

To support the description of the actions taken to confirm extinguishment, consider also including the following: 

• Photographs 
• Maps 
• Sketches or diagrams 
• Weather data, weather forecasts, and the name of the representative weather station 
• Observations about fire behaviour, fuel breaks, and other site conditions 
• Type and quality of burned material 

Land District – Used in conjunction with other descriptors. There are approximately 64 land districts in B.C. (0 to 64). 

District lot – Usually listed within a specific land district. Exists with both alphabetic and numeric characters. 

Lot – A division of a district lot. It is the smallest designation of land.  

Range – A division of a district lot. Used in conjunction with other descriptors. Number values from 1 to 30.  

Section – Used in conjunction with other descriptors. Either alphabetic and/or numeric characters.  

Plan/Part – Refers to a portion of land within a Section. Each section is divided into 4 or 16 parts designated as NW, NE, SW, SE or 1 to 16. 

Township – Used in conjunction with other descriptors. Either alphabetic and/or numeric characters.  

LSD – Legal subdivision. Part of a township.

PID – Parcel identifier (PID) is a nine-digit number found on the tax assessment form for your premises (ex: 011-253-363). 

Meridian – Represents a line of longitude. Described as being either East or West of the 5th, 6th, 7th, or Coast Meridians.  

Agricultural lease – Crown land developed for farm use. 

Block – Used to describe a piece of land. Either alphabetical or numeric characters. Used in conjunction with a cutting permit.  

Christmas tree permit – Authorization to grow/harvest Christmas trees on Crown land for commercial purposes. 

Community forest agreement – Similar to tree farm license (TFL). Timber available for small tenures.  

Cutting permit (CP#) – Permission granted by authority to cut timber on crown land. Usually in conjunction with block. 

Forest license (FL#) – Document issued that authorizes holder to harvest timber within a timber supply area (TSA) in conjunction with cutting permit. May also be required as a special use permit.  

Indian reserve (IR#) – Lands reserved for Indigenous peoples. Find list of reserves at BC Gov's First Nations A-Z listings for reserve number. 

License to cut – Legal right to occupy Crown land. Not to harvest timber, but to remove timber from land.  

Map sheet & opening – An area of land used for harvesting activities. Must know from which grid: NTG 1:20 000 / BSGS 1:50 000 scale (ex: MAP SHEET 1:500000, MAP NTS83-83D1, OPENING 082). 

Mineral claim/rights – Grants holder the right to mine on Crown land. 

Pipeline – Continuous conduit between 2 locations through which oil, gas or solids are transported under pressure. Coordinates for each end point, Pipeline lease / OGC# (see sample R11-G00998). 

Provincial Park # – Official BC Parks. Including sites, sanctuaries, heritage areas, eco-reserves and other protected areas in B.C.  

Road permit (R#) – Authority to harvest timber to construct/modify a forestry road for access to Crown Timber.  

Small scale salvage (SSS#) – Permission granted to salvage merchantable material from a previously harvested section.  

Special use permit – Permission granted giving non-exclusive authority to occupy and use crown land in accordance with Forest Use Regulations.  

Tree farm license (TFL#) – Exclusive right to manage forest and to harvest crown timber and manage forests. Requires cutting permits.  

Timber mark – Required when transporting cut timber. Up to 6 characters stamped on the end of each log (ex: TM A61854, TM W0123C). 

Timber Sale License (TSL#) – Conveys the right to harvest timber with a TSA, in conjunction with cutting permits. Used exclusively by BC Timber Sales to dispose timber (ex: TSL A51101, TSL EBNAG). 

Vacant Crown land – Crown land that is vacant. Usually, government burning or special permit needed.  

Well site – Surface location where oil well is drilled. Used in conjunction with well authorization, OGC File, CP, MSP and/or MO.  

Well authorization (WA#) – Given by government agency to drill a specific well. Used in conjunction with well site.  

Woodlot license (WLL#) – Similar to TFLs, but issued to individuals and small corporations to harvest timber and manage forest. Used in conjunction with CP, Block, Timber Sale.  

A fuel break may be a change of fuel type, an area with fuel removed or a natural barrier, such as snow, bodies of water or bare rock. A fuel break is only sufficient if it prevents fire spread and should be assessed throughout the burn for its ability to prevent fire spreading.

Consider how burn location and local current and forecast weather conditions will impact your fuel break, including:

• Topography (slope, aspect, terrain)
• Content and quality of burned material in pile
• Adjacent fuels
• Moisture levels
• Fire behaviour
• Wind and weather

Choosing your burn location and timing:

• Whenever possible, burn piles when there is still snow cover and the ground is frozen 
• Avoid building piles in areas with buried organic matter material, such as muskeg, rotten log decks or boggy areas, or deep organic soils like peat. These can create deep burning and underground smouldering, which can reignite in warm, dry and/or windy conditions
• Never burn in windy conditions

Constructing piles:

• Hot fires produce less smoke. Build piles to allow air flow and good combustion
• Create a stable haystack-like structure that does not have long sloping sides
• Piles should have fine fuels on the bottom with larger fuels on top or leaned on the outside of the pile to form a pyramid structure

Burning piles:

• To minimize unburned material, pile tending is recommended. Push outside material into the centre of the burn pile until all debris is consumed
• When you've finished burning your pile, check the burn site for hot spots. Hot spots may continue to smoulder and could flare again, weeks or months later

For more information on pile burning, read the Wildfire Risk Reduction Pile Construction and Burning Guidance document. This document will help ensure that category 3 pile construction and burning occurs in a manner that:

• Reduces the risk to surrounding structures and communities
• Minimizes smoke emissions
• Avoids or limits damage to standing trees
• Complies with legal requirements under the Wildfire Act and Environmental Management Act 

A windrow is a pile of hay, grain, leaves or other organic material left to dry.

When building and burning windrows, remember to:

• Avoid building windrows in muskeg areas, where fire can burn deep into the duff layer
• Avoid pushing dirt into the windrows, as this will smother the fire, cause it to burn continuously and produce more smoke
• Use a brush rake or excavator to build windrows whenever possible to help keep dirt out of the rows and encourage better burning
• Build windrows perpendicular to the direction of the prevailing wind
• Ensure that all windrows are built no closer than 25 metres from standing timber
• Never burn in windy conditions

When burning grass and stubble areas:

• Avoid burning in the heat of the day. Whenever possible, burn in the evening
• Blade or plow a fire guard (a minimum of 5 metres wide) all around your burn site, right down to mineral soil
• Burn larger fields by working on smaller sections individually, with fire guards built around each section
• Never burn in windy conditions