PARKSVILLE – Effective at 12 p.m. (noon) PDT on Thursday, July 16, 2026, Category 1 open fire (campfires) will be prohibited in parts of the Coastal Fire Centre. This prohibition is being modified to help reduce human-caused wildfires in areas of higher fire risk. This prohibition will be in place until October 31, 2026, or until the order is rescinded.
Category 1 open fires (campfires) will be prohibited in the following fire zones and associated natural resource districts:
- Mid Island Fire Zone, which includes the South Island Natural Resource District
- South Island Fire Zone, which includes 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 affected by the Category 1 open fire prohibition also prohibit the following activities and use of equipment:
- Sky Lanterns
- Wood fired hot tubs, wood fired pizza ovens and other wood fired devices unless vented through a structure that has a flue and is incorporated in a building
This prohibition does not include the use of outdoor stoves, as defined in section 19 of the Wildfire Regulation.
Category 2 and Category 3 open fires remain prohibited throughout the entire Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction along with the following activities and equipment:
- Fireworks (Fireworks Act)
- Controlled air incinerators
- Carbonizers
- Binary exploding targets
- Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description
- Air curtain burners
A map of prohibition areas within the Coastal Fire Centre is available online and linked below.
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 based on local conditions. Please check with your local government before engaging in any activity that that could spark a wildfire.
For more information on open fires, prohibitions and restrictions, visit: gov.bc.ca/saferburning
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