PARKSVILLE – Effective at 12 p.m. (noon) PDT on Friday, September 18, 2026, Category 2 and Category 3 open fire prohibitions will be lifted in select areas of the Coastal Fire Centre, including the North Island Mid Coast Fire Zone (Campbell River Forest District, North Island Central Coast Forest District) and the Sunshine Coast Fire Zone (Sunshine Coast Forest District).
Category 2 (backyard burning), Category 3 (industrial burning) remain prohibited in the following fire zones and associated natural resource districts:
- Mid Island Fire Zone, which is included in the South Island Natural Resource District
- South Island Fire Zone, which is included in the South Island Natural Resource District
- Pemberton Fire Zone, which encompasses the Sea to Sky Natural Resource District
- Fraser Fire Zone (excluding Haida Gwaii), which encompasses the Chilliwack Natural Resource District
Areas that remain affected by Category 2 and Category 3 open fire prohibitions also prohibit the following activities and equipment:
- Binary exploding targets
- Fireworks (Fireworks Act)
- Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description
- Controlled air incinerators
- Air curtain burners
- Carbonizers
A map of the latest prohibition areas is provided below and available online. To check BC Wildfire Service prohibitions in your location, visit our mobile app or the online interactive map. There you can turn on the “fire bans” layer and search for your location of interest. The pattern of the yellow overlay corresponds to the prohibitions currently in place. You can also click the overlay and select “more details” for full information.
BC Wildfire Service prohibitions apply to all Crown land that is outside of municipal boundaries. They also apply to the following types of land within municipal boundaries:
- Parks, conservancies and recreation areas (Park Act)
- Recreation sites, recreation trails, interpretive forest sites and trail-based recreation areas (Forest and Range Practices Act)
- Ecological reserves (Ecological Reserve Act)
- Wildlife management areas (Wildlife Act)
- Private managed forest land (Private Managed Forest Land Act)
Municipalities may impose different prohibitions or restrictions. Please check with your local government before engaging in any activity that could spark a wildfire.
Practicing fire safety and preparedness remains important all year long. Be aware of your local conditions and ensure that burning is done in a safe and responsible manner. For more information, visit: gov.bc.ca/saferburning
Anyone found in contravention of an open-burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150. They may be required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, may 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 ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire, or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 tollfree, *5555 on a cell phone, or submit an electronic report through the BC Wildfire public mobile app.
Stay up-to-date on the latest wildfire activity:
- Visit BCWildfire.ca
- Download the free BC Wildfire Service public mobile app or access the map and dashboard online
- Follow the BC Wildfire Service on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
Contact:
Fire Information Officer
Coastal Fire Centre | BC Wildfire Service
250-951-4209 | BCWS.CoFCInfo@gov.bc.ca