Effective noon Thursday, Aug. 4, campfires will be prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, with the exception of the Haida Gwaii Forest District, to help reduce wildfire risk.
The prohibition covers all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands within the Coastal Fire Centre, unless specified otherwise (e.g., in a local government bylaw).
The Coastal Fire Centre covers all the area west of the height of land on the Coast Mountain Range from the U.S.-Canada border at Manning Park, including Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park in the north, the Sunshine Coast, the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Haida Gwaii.
The prohibition will be in place until Oct. 28, or until the order is rescinded.
With the enactment of this prohibition, no campfires (except Haida Gwaii) or category 2 or 3 open fires are allowed within the Coastal Fire Centre. The category 2 and 3 prohibition (which includes backyard and industrial burning) was enacted on July 15, 2022.
Also prohibited in all areas of the Coastal Fire Centre (Wildfire Act, Section 12):
• Fireworks
• Sky lanterns
• Binary exploding targets
• Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description
• Air curtain burners
The campfire prohibition does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or portable campfire devices that use briquettes, liquid, or gaseous fuel, provided they are CSA or ULC approved, and the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres.
Anyone who lights, fuels or uses an open fire when a fire prohibition is in place or fails to comply with an open fire prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150 or, if convicted in court, be fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be subject to a penalty of up to $100,000 and ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
To report a wildfire, call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone. For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to: www.bcwildfire.ca
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