Coastal B.C. campfire ban to be lifted Wednesday

There’s good news if you were hoping to go camping this Labour Day long weekend: the BC Wildfire Service says it’s lifting the ban on campfires for the Coastal Fire Centre as soon as Wednesday.

Due to recent rainfall and cooler, more seasonal temperatures, the service says people within the region — which includes the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island — will once again be allowed to light category 1 campfires.

The ban will be rescinded on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at noon.

If you do light a campfire, the service is asking you to be extremely careful with it.

“It is the responsibility of the individual to ensure that burning is done in a safe and responsible manner and in accordance with regulations. Before lighting any fire, check with local government authorities to see if any local burning restrictions are in place,” the service said on social media.

Fire Information Officer with the Coastal Fire Centre Aydan Coray reminds the public that if you are in an area where there may still be visible smoke. She says this is not a reason to be concerned.

However, Coray says if you think there’s a new wildfire starting or an unattended campfire, the fire centre encourages you to report it by calling 1-800-663-5555 or star-5555 on your cellphone.

Campfire bans remain in two of the six fire centres in the province: the Northwest and Kamloops fire centres.

A ban in the Southeast fire centre was lifted Monday at noon.

The first fire ban of the season was issued in March, triggered by drought and unseasonably warm weather. That ban came just as the BC River Forecast Centre released a snowpack data report showing the province had the second-lowest snowpack ever for that time of year.

The service says campfires are defined as open fires no bigger than half a metre high and half a metre wide, and notes that larger open fires remain prohibited. As well, fireworks, firecrackers, and sky lanterns are also not permitted.

There are just under 300 wildfires burning in the province, and none of them are considered “of note.”

—With files from Emma Crawford and Anthony Atanasov.