Campers hoping to light a campfire for the first time this summer may be out of luck if they are planning to do it in Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen fire protection areas. Credit: Shutterstock

Check those campfire plans if you’re camping in the south Okanagan

PENTICTON – Campers planning a campfire this weekend in the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen may need to rethink those plans.

While the campfire ban was lifted earlier this week on lands under jurisdiction of the B.C. Wildfire Service, it will not affect the regional district’s temporary open fire ban, which remains in effect.

All lands contained within the regional district's fire protection areas including Anarchist Mountain, Kaleden, Keremeos, Naramata, Okanagan Falls, Tullameen and Willlowbrook  areas are still under a ban on all open fires, including campfires and fires in portable wood burning fireplaces.

The regional district temporary open fire ban does not apply to provincial campgrounds or Crown Land that lie within regional district fire protection areas, however the ban does apply to private campgrounds within the regional district's jurisdiction.

The ban does not restrict fires in propane or gas stoves, or the use of briquettes.

To check to see if you fall within the RDOS fire service area, check this regional district webpage.

For more information, call 250-492-0237, or toll free at 1-877-610-3737.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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