Open fire ban for Coastal Fire Centre begins Friday, campfires still allowed

Campfires will be the only fire allowed in the Coastal Fire Centre from Friday onwards.

The BC Wildfire Service says all Category 2 and 3 fires will be prohibited from 12 p.m. on May 30 until Oct. 31, in an effort to help “reduce human-caused wildfires and for public safety.”

For Haida Gwaii, only Category 3 fires are prohibited from Friday.

“This prohibition does not apply to Category 1 (Campfires) that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, or to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes,” the BCWS explained.

“Anyone lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire area and have a hand tool or at least 8 litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire.”

According to the BCWS, a Category 2 fire is an open fire that:

• Burns material in one pile not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width,
• Burns material concurrently in 2 piles each not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width, or
• Burns stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 hectares.

Meanwhile, a Category 3 open fire is one that:

• Material concurrently in 3 or more piles each not exceeding 2 metres in height and 3 metres in width,
• Material in one or more piles each exceeding 2 metres in height or 3 metres in width,
• One or more windrows, each not exceeding 200 metres in length or 15 metres in width
• Stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 hectares.

Fireworks, exploding targets, burn barrels or cages, air incinerators, curtain burners, and carbonizers are also banned under the fire restriction.

Anyone found burning in violation of the restrictions could be issued a ticket for $1,150, and required to pay up to $10,000 administrative bill. If found guilty in court, someone might be on the hook for a $100,000 fine and up to one year in jail.