‘Worrying’ number of campfires reported in South Coastal B.C. amid ongoing ban

PARKSVILLE (NEWS 1130) — The BC Wildfire Service is reporting a troubling increase in the number of campfires reported throughout the South Coast despite the ongoing ban.

Fire Information Officer Gordon Robinson says amid cooler temperatures and some precipitation, people may be underestimating the ongoing danger dry conditions continue to pose. On Tuesday, he said there have been about 30 reports over the last few days.

“It’s worrying at this point. It’s been quite an uptick, and I think that comes with the cooler weather and in some areas a bit of moisture that people are maybe getting a little complacent and wanting to have a campfire again,” he tells NEWS 1130.

“The fire ban has lasted a long time, but we really can’t let our foot off the gas at this point. We’re closing in on the end of the fire season but especially on the coast, especially on Vancouver Island, it’s still very, very dry, and the potential for fires to start easily and spread rapidly is very much still there.”

The Coastal Fire Centre & our partners in the Conservation Officer Service have received dozens of reports of campfires within the Coastal Fire Centre area over the last several days. While temperatures are beginning to drop, the campfire ban remains in effect for all areas of… pic.twitter.com/whVoyn0lCI

— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) August 24, 2021

Because the region is the most densely populated in the province, Robinson says the “vast majority” of fires reported to the Coastal Fire Centre are human-caused. The centre is monitoring two wildfires of note, compared to the 14 in the Kamloops Fire Centre — but Robinson says fewer fires in one region allow resources to be concentrated where they are needed most.

“This year it’s especially important that we prevent those fires because every human-caused fire is a preventable fire. We’re close to the end, but we’re not there yet. If we end up with a bunch of fires on the coast, the firefighters and the support personnel who are working on those fires are not available to help in the Interior where things are much worse.”

RELATED: B.C. has issued over 100 fire-related fines so far this season

The Mt. Hayes fire which sparked between Nanaimo and Ladysmith last week is a cautionary tale of how rapid growth can be fueled by this season’s tinder-dry conditions.

“That fire went from ignition in the afternoon, to being 20 hectares that evening, to being 70 hectares the next morning — all within a few kilometres of the town,” Robinson says.

The penalties for violating the province’s fire ban can be steep, starting with a fine of $1,150.

“That is applied to every person around the fire. It’s not like driving a car where there’s only one driver. A campfire doesn’t have a registration,” Robinson explains.

“If you have a campfire that gets away from you and starts a wildfire, you can be held responsible for that. The government will try to recover the costs of fighting that fire from you, which can be very significant. ”

the Coastal Fire Centre except for #HaidaGwaii. The fire danger in many parts of the centre is still high or extreme, meaning that fires can start easily and spread more quickly than under normal conditions.

— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) August 24, 2021

However, Robinson does note that most people are being careful, and that quick reporting has gone a long way to mitigating the potential damage in the region this year.

“We have had actually a well above average number of fires on the coast this year, but people have been really quick about reporting them and we’ve been able to get initial attack crews on them really quickly and have them contained before they can grow and become a problem.”