B.C.-wide campfire ban comes into effect

As of 12 p.m. Friday, July 12, open fires of all kinds are prohibited across British Columbia.

The ban, which includes campfires, comes into effect after a run of hot and dry weather in all parts of the province, including four days of record-setting temperatures in some areas.

The BC Wildfire Service announced the ban on Tuesday, explaining there’s an increased risk of wildfires from current and forecast weather conditions.

The service says, “Campfire prohibitions are being enacted to help prevent human-caused wildfires and to protect public safety.”

Sarah Budd, the provincial information officer for BC Wildfire, tells CityNews that the service does not take the decision lightly. 

“Obviously, campfires are an important part of the recreation culture in B.C., and they’re also used for ceremonial purposes by First Nations and Indigenous people, but this is a decision that’s made at the local level by each of these six fire centres when we find that the risk is too high as our conditions dry out,” said Budd.

In addition to fires, the service says fireworks, sky lanterns, binary exploding targets, air curtain burners, burn barrels or cages of any size, chimineas, and tiki or similar torches are also banned.

After a wet start to the summer, the heat and risk of wildfires are quickly escalating, B.C.’s minister of emergency management and climate readiness shared on Thursday.

“As a result, the BC Wildfire Service is implementing a province-wide campfire ban effective noon tomorrow, on July 12. This means open burns of any kind, except those licensed for prescribed burns, will be prohibited everywhere in British Columbia, with the exception of Haida Gwaii,” Bowinn Ma said.

Ma said that campfire bans are crucial to reducing the risk of human-caused wildfires. As of 6 a.m. Friday, there were 150 wildfires burning across the province.

Anyone found violating the ban may be issued a 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 possibly sentenced to one year in jail.