# Source note — Prince George Fire Centre burn ban starts Aug. 20: Category 2 and 3 open fires prohibited in Vanderhoof and Fort St. James zones

- Captured: 2026-08-20T06:48:00-07:00
- Article slug: `prince-george-fire-centre-category-2-3-open-fire-prohibition-august-20-2026`
- Editorial status: routine BCFires daily official-source prevention/restriction update.

## Primary official anchor

1. BC Wildfire Service bulletin: https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/category-2-and-3-open-fire-to-be-prohibited-for-parts-of-the-prince-george-fire-centre/
   - Date in source: 2026-08-19T14:13:24
   - Title: Category 2 and 3 open fire to be prohibited for parts of the Prince George Fire Centre
   - Preserved files: `bcws_post_json.json`, `bcws_post_html.html`, `bcws-burn-prohibition-summary.md`

## Supporting official context captured

2. Prince George Fire Centre prohibitions page: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions/prince-george-fire-centre-bans
   - Preserved file: `pg_fire_centre_bans.html`
3. B.C. open-burning definitions page: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions/open-burning
   - Preserved file: `open_burning_defs.html`
4. EmergencyInfoBC homepage/API: https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/ and https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/wp-json/wp/v2/event?per_page=30&_fields=date,modified,slug,link,title,excerpt
   - API rows captured: 30
5. DriveBC/Open511: https://api.open511.gov.bc.ca/events?format=json&limit=500
   - Total events: 248
   - Wildfire/fire/smoke rows in snapshot: 25
   - Major wildfire/fire/smoke rows in snapshot: 12

## Editorial caveats

- This article does not create or update an evacuation order, evacuation alert, road closure, fire boundary, safe-return notice or wildfire-cause finding.
- It covers a BCWS prevention/restriction bulletin: Category 2 and 3 open burning in specified Prince George Fire Centre zones.
- Category 1 campfires are not included in this specific BCWS bulletin, but local/municipal/regional/BC Parks rules can differ. Readers should check live official pages before lighting any fire.
- No social-media cause/arson/named-person allegation was used.