Parksville/Fraser Valley (with files from BC Wildfire Service and CBC) – Effective at noon on Friday, July 7, campfires will be prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre, except the Haida Gwaii Forest District. This prohibition is being enacted to help prevent human caused wildfires and protect public safety.
Now that we are back to 30+ heat for the foreseeable future and add the drought conditions, It is no surprise that we are back to banning campfires.
NOTE – A fire of great concern for crews – At 5,745 sq. km and a perimeter of 800 km the Donnie Creek wildfire is the largest ever recorded in B.C. It’s burning in northeastern British Columbia and continues to grow and is now larger than the size of Prince Edward Island, according to BC Wildfire Service.
These prohibitions apply to all public and private land within the Coastal Fire Centre jurisdiction, unless specified otherwise in an enactment (e.g., in a local government bylaw). Always check with local government authorities to see if any other burning restrictions are in effect.
This prohibition will be in place until Tuesday, October 31, 2023, or until the order is rescinded.
A map of the affected areas is available online: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/wildfire-status/fire-bans-and-restrictions/coastal-maps/23_coastal_map_s10s12_prohibition_color_8x11l_info_jun30.jpg
On July 7, the below open fires are prohibited in the Coastal Fire Centre, with the exception of the Haida Gwaii Forest District where Category 1 campfires are still permitted:
- Category 1 campfires as defined in the Wildfire Regulation;
- Category 2 open fire as defined in the Wildfire Regulation; and,
- Category 3 open fire as defined in the Wildfire Regulation.
In addition to open fires being prohibited, the following activities and equipment are also restricted:
- Fireworks;
- Sky Lanterns;
- Burn Barrels or Burn Cages of any size or description;
- Binary Exploding Targets;
- Air curtain burners;
- Tiki and similar kind of torches; and,
- Chimineas.
This prohibition does not include the use of outdoor stoves. As per the Wildfire Regulation, an outdoor stove is a CSA-rated or ULC-rated device used outdoors for cooking, heat or ambiance that burns charcoal briquettes, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel, and has a flame height that is less than 15 cm tall.
