Campfire ban issued for almost all of B.C. amid surge in wildfires

A campfire ban is being brought in for almost the entirety of B.C. after a surge in wildfires amid ongoing hot and dry conditions.

As of 3 p.m. Monday, all areas of the province, with the exception of Haida Gwaii, will be under a category 1 campfire ban. Category 1 fires are defined as fires “no larger than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide,” and fires “used by any person for recreational purposes or by a First Nation for a ceremonial purpose.”

The order came after hundreds of lightning strikes started nearly 200 wildfires in the province over the weekend.

“I urge everyone to do their part. Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from lightning-caused fires,” Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Bowinn Ma said Monday.

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The expansion comes just days after a category 1 ban was issued in B.C.’s most populous areas, including the entire Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Sea to Sky, and Vancouver Island regions.

Category 2 and 3 open burning is already prohibited in all of the province.

The BC Wildfire Service is reporting more than 300 fires Monday, with 87 spotted in the last 24 hours and almost 200 of the total number considered out of control.

The wildfire service is bracing for challenging conditions, with lightning storms still in the forecast for most of the week, as well as heat warnings or above-average temperatures through the central Interior.

-With files from The Canadian Press