PARKSVILLE — Effective at noon Pacific Daylight Time on Friday, July 15, 2022, most open burning activities will be prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction. This prohibition is being enacted to help reduce wildfire risk and protect public safety.

Category 2 and Category 3 open fires will be prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, including Haida Gwaii. This prohibition will be in place until October 28, 2022, or until the order is rescinded.

A map of the affected areas is available online:http://ow.ly/8ktb30snWOQ

This prohibition applies to all public and private land, unless specified otherwise (e.g., in a local
government bylaw). People are asked to check with local government authorities for any other
restrictions before lighting any fire.

Specifically, this prohibition refers to the following activities:

“category 2 open fire” which means an open fire, other than a campfire, that

a) burns material in one pile not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
b) burns material concurrently in 2 piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width, or
c) burns stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 ha.

“category 3 open fire” which means an open fire that burns

a) material concurrently in 3 or more piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
b) material in one or more piles each exceeding 2 m in height or 3 m in width,
c) one or more windrows, or
d) stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 ha.

Also prohibited are the activities listed below (Wildfire Act, Section 12):
• Fireworks;
• Sky Lanterns;
• Binary Exploding Targets;
• Burn Barrels or Burn Cages of any size or description; and,
• Air Curtain Burners.

This prohibition does not apply to campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, or to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes. More information explaining the different categories of open burning is available online here.

Anyone lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire area and have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire.

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.

Anyone found in contravention of an open fire prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, 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.

People can follow the latest wildfire news:
• on the free BC Wildfire Service public mobile app, available for Apple (iOS) and Android devices
• on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
• on Facebook: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Contact:

Fire Information Officer
BC Wildfire Service
Coastal Fire Centre
250 951-4209

Connect with the Province of B.C. at www.gov.bc.ca/connect.