# Sept. 12 BCFires official-source package — Northwest Category 3 rescindment and Deer Park prescribed burn

Captured: 2026-09-12T13:46:58.048845+00:00
Article slug: `official-bcws-northwest-category-3-deer-park-check-september-12-2026`

## Bottom line
BCWS posted two Sept. 11 reader-service updates. First, Category 3 open burning is permitted again throughout the Northwest Fire Centre effective noon Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, and BCWS says this means there will be no open fire prohibitions in place there after the change. Second, BCWS says a Deer Park Mountain prescribed burn near Deer Park in the Southeast Fire Centre could begin as early as Thursday, Sept. 17 if weather and site conditions allow, may occur in stages over the next month, and may cover up to 450 hectares. DriveBC/Open511 listed 3 wildfire/fire/smoke road rows (2 marked MAJOR). EmergencyInfoBC's homepage displayed 12 wildfire-related current-emergency cards.

## Official sources captured
- BCWS Northwest Category 3 rescind API: https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/wp-json/wp/v2/posts?slug=category-3-open-fire-prohibition-rescind-in-the-northwest-fire-centre
- BCWS Northwest Category 3 notice page: https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/category-3-open-fire-prohibition-rescind-in-the-northwest-fire-centre/
- BCWS Deer Park prescribed burn API: https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/wp-json/wp/v2/posts?slug=prescribed-burn-planned-for-deer-park-mountain-area
- BCWS Deer Park prescribed burn notice page: https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/prescribed-burn-planned-for-deer-park-mountain-area/
- DriveBC/Open511 events feed: https://api.open511.gov.bc.ca/events?format=json&limit=500
- EmergencyInfoBC homepage: https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/
- EmergencyInfoBC event API: https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/wp-json/wp/v2/event?per_page=100&_fields=date,modified,slug,link,title,excerpt
- BCWS latest posts API: https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/wp-json/wp/v2/posts?per_page=20&_fields=date,modified,slug,link,title,excerpt
- B.C. fire prohibitions and restrictions page: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/fire-bans-and-restrictions

## Extracts
### Northwest Category 3 rescindment
SMITHERS – Effective at 12 p.m. (noon) PDT on Saturday, September 12, 2026, Category 3 open burning will be permitted throughout the Northwest Fire Centre. This change means that there will be no open fire prohibitions in place. Category 3 open fire refers to : Any fire larger than 2 metres high by 3 metres wide Three or more concurrently burning piles, each no larger than 2 metres high by 3 metres wide The burning of stubble or grass over an area greater than 0.2 hectares The burning of one or more windrows Anyone wishing to light a Category 3 open fire must obtain a burn registration number ahead of time by calling 1-888-797-1717. A burn registration number is not required for a Category 2 open fire. In addition to Category 3 open fires, the following equipment and activities will once again be permitted: Air curtain burners Carbonizers Municipalities may align with BC Wildfire Service prohibitions or impose their own prohibitions based on local conditions. Check with your local government or other jurisdictional authorities before lighting a fire of any size and abide by any bylaws or restrictions that are in place in your area. It is each individuals responsibility to ensure that burning is done safely, in accordance with regulations. For more information about open burning, visit the open fire and safer burning webpage . All open burning must comply with the Wildfire Act , Environmental Management Act and Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation. Anyone conducting an open burn must check local venting conditions prior to lighting a fire, understand what smoke sensitivity zone the burn site is in, and meet all other obligations associated with these regulations. Venting index and smoke sensitivity zone information is available by calling 1 888 281-2992 or visiting the text ventilation index or the venting index interactive map . Report open burning violations through the RAPP Line: 1-877-952-7277 Stay in the know For the latest information on current wildfire activity, prohibitions and restrictions, road closures, and air-quality advisories please visit BCWildfire.ca , or the following: Facebook Instagram BC Wildfire App: available for Apple and Android Contact

### Deer Park Mountain prescribed burn
CASTLEGAR – To help reduce the risk of wildfires, the BC Wildfire Service is supporting Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship in conducting a prescribed burn in the Deer Park Mountain area. This burn is located within one kilometre of Deer Park and will cover up to 450 hectares. The exact timing of this burn will depend on weather and site conditions, but it could begin as early as Thursday, September 17, 2026. Burning can potentially happen in multiple stages over the next month as conditions allow. Smoke may impact residents near the burn area and may be visible from Deer Park, Renata, Edgewood, Castlegar and surrounding communities, and to motorists travelling along Highway 6 and Broadwater Road. Rotary wing resources will be supporting ignition operations and residents can expect to see helicopters in the area during burn operations. Key goals of this prescribed burn include: Reduce the accumulation of ground fuels Help restore forest health and properly functioning open forest conditions Decrease the risk of future catastrophic wildfires in the area Burning will only proceed if conditions are suitable to achieve objectives and allow for appropriate smoke dispersal, though smoke may linger in the following days, particularly the morning after burn operations. Despite all smoke management precautions, unintended smoke impacts are possible after any burn. For more information on wildfire smoke impacts and how you can protect yourself, visit the BC Centre for Disease Control . Fire is a normal and natural process in many of B.C.’s ecosystems. The BC Wildfire Service works regularly with land managers to undertake fuel management activities (including the use of prescribed fire), to help achieve land management objectives, reduce the severity of future wildfires and increase ecosystem and wildfire resilience. Safety is paramount in all prescribed burn operations. Each burn is guided by a detailed burn plan that defines objectives and outlines key requirements, including weather and fuel conditions, personnel and equipment needs, mitigation measures, and post-fire monitoring. Watch this video to learn more . Learn more about prescribed burning online at prescribedfire.ca . Report a wildfire The Southeast Fire Centre would like to thank the public for its continuing help in preventing wildfires. You can report a wildfire, unattended campfire, or open burning violation by: Dialing *5555 on a cell phone Calling 1 800 663-5555 toll-free Reporting through the BC Wildfire App Report a fire function Reporting through the app lets you upload images and

## EmergencyInfoBC homepage wildfire cards
- Okanagan Indian Band evacuation information — https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/event/wildfire-okanagan-indian-band-01aug2026/
- Spuzzum First Nation evacuation information — https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/event/wildfire-spuzzum-first-nation-evacuation-information/
- Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen evacuation information — https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/event/wildfire-okanagan-similkameen-evacuation-information/
- Lytton First Nation evacuation information — https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/event/wildfire-lytton-first-nation-evacuation-information/
- Coldwater Indian Band evacuation information — https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/event/wildfire-coldwater-indian-band-evacuation-information/
- District of Summerland evacuation information — https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/event/district-of-summerland-evacuation-information/
- Ts’kw’aylaxw First Nation evacuation information — https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/event/tskwaylaxw-first-nation-evacuation-information/
- Boothroyd Indian Band evacuation information — https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/event/wildfire-boothroyd-indian-band-evacuation-information/
- Yale First Nation evacuation information — https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/event/wildfire-yale-first-nation-01august2026/
- Shxw’ow’hamel First Nation evacuation information — https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/event/wildfire-shxwowhamel-fn-01august-2026/
- Whispering Pines/Clinton Indian Band evacuation information — https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/event/wildfire-whispering-pines-clinton-indian-band-evacuation-information/
- Boston Bar First Nation evacuation information — https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/event/wildfire-boston-bar-first-nation-evacuation-information/

## Selected DriveBC/Open511 event IDs
- drivebc.ca/DBC-93947 — MAJOR — 2026-09-11T09:09:05-07:00 — Princeton Summerland Rd. There is a wildfire between Trout Creek Main and Summerland 45 km north of Princeton. Road closed. Watch for traffic control. Alternate Routes: Highway 5A and Highway 3. Next update time Mon Sep 14 at 1:00 PM PDT. Last updated Fri Sep 11 at 9:09 AM PDT. (
- drivebc.ca/DBC-93773 — MAJOR — 2026-09-07T12:33:35-07:00 — Silver Skagit Rd, in both directions. There is a wildfire between Silver Skagit Rd 6km mark and USA/Canada Border. Road closed. Closure point is approximately 6km south of Flood Hope Rd due to Provincial Parks closure caused by Hozomeen Mountain Wildfire. Silver Lake remains open
- drivebc.ca/DBC-93854 — MINOR — 2026-09-02T11:11:42-07:00 — Westside Rd, in both directions. There is a wildfire between Komasket Rd and Simla Rd for 8.1 km (48 to 56 km east of West Kelowna). Westside Rd is open. No stopping between Irish Creek Rd and Komasket Rd. Next update time Fri Sep 18 at 12:00 PM PDT. Last updated Wed Sep 2 at 11:

## Editorial cautions
- This article is not a new evacuation order, evacuation alert, road detour, safe-return clearance, smoke-health forecast, fire-boundary update, arson allegation or fire-cause finding.
- The Northwest Fire Centre rescindment does not remove burn-registration, venting-index, local-bylaw, parks, industrial, or other jurisdictional obligations.
- A prescribed-burn notice is planned fuel/ecosystem-management work, not an uncontrolled wildfire alert.
- DriveBC/Open511 and EmergencyInfoBC rows are dated snapshots and must be checked live before travel, return-home or evacuation decisions.
- No named-person, arson or cause claim is made.