No campfire ban expected for B.C. during heat wave or August long weekend

Despite the scorching temperatures across the Lower Mainland and much of B.C., a fire ban is not expected to be put in place this week or before the August long weekend.

BC Wildfire Service Fire Information Officer Mikhail Elsay told CityNews fewer fires and a milder, wetter spring is keeping the conditions acceptable for campfires of a certain size.

“Half a metre by half a metre [is acceptable],” Elsay said. “You still have to have a cleared space around the outside of your fire and have at least eight litres of water or a hand tool on site.”

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Heat warnings have been enacted for most of the province Tuesday, as Metro Vancouver looks to daytime highs of low to high 30s. Inland it will feel as high as 38 degrees.

The province uses many determining factors on whether to issue a fire ban or not.

“We look at a bunch of things to determine whether we put on a campfire ban. One of the thresholds that we use is called the build-up index, which is basically a calculation of how dry and how much fuel we have on the landscape,” Elsay explained.

While the wetter spring has allowed for a more moist forest floor, it doesn’t mean folks don’t need to be vigilant with other fires and sparks.

“You can’t burn any large slash piles. You can’t burn stubble or grass over 0.2 of a hectare. But campfires for the public going out to enjoy this long weekend, you are allowed to have a campfire at this time.”

Fire bans and danger ratings can be found at the BC Wildfire Service website.