In BC, call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 from a cell
The BC Wildfire Service publishes two reporting numbers: 1-800-663-5555 from any phone, and *5555 from a cellphone. Either one connects you to the...
The BC Wildfire Service publishes two reporting numbers: 1-800-663-5555 from any phone, and *5555 from a cellphone. Either one connects you to the provincial wildfire reporting line. Both are free and staffed during fire season. Use these numbers for any forest, grass or interface fire that is not being actively managed. Use 9-1-1 if there is an immediate threat to life, structures or vehicles — in those cases, the 9-1-1 dispatcher will coordinate with BC Wildfire Service. In the US, call 911 to report a wildfire; the dispatcher routes it to the responsible state, federal or local fire agency. Save both *5555 and 1-800-663-5555 to your phone’s contacts before fire season so you do not have to look them up under pressure. If you live or travel in remote areas with poor cell coverage, write the numbers on paper and keep them in your vehicle. Reporting a fire early — when it is still small and accessible — is the single most powerful thing a member of the public can do to keep a wildfire from becoming a community-threatening event.
In BC, dialling *5555 from any cellphone connects you free of charge to the provincial wildfire reporting line — five keys, no area code, staffed all fire season.
Source: BC Wildfire Service
Last reviewed 2026-05-02.
See live fires, evacuation alerts, air quality, and road closures for Western Canada and 18 western US states on our free live map, then run through the preparedness checklists before fire season.
This is the same wildfire safety library that lives inside our free app. Browse it all in the safety library.