A campfire ban for parts of B.C. covering Metro Vancouver will come into effect ahead of schedule Thursday.
The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says Category 3, 2 and 1 fires are banned in the Coast Fire Centre, which includes the Lower Mainland, Sea-to-Sky corridor, Vancouver Island, the Central Coast and Haida Gwaii, starting at noon.
“This prohibition is being enacted to help reduce human-caused wildfires and for public safety,” said a BCWS notice.
It adds that the Haida Gwaii Forest District is exempt from the ban on Category 2 and 3 fires.
The ban refers to any open fire used for recreational purposes or by a First Nation for ceremonial purposes.
The list of other prohibited activities includes:
The BCWS says it ban does not include the use of outdoor stoves or qualified barbecues or grills.
“Open fire is the largest cause of human-caused fires provincially. Human-caused wildfires are entirely preventable and may divert crucial resources from naturally occurring and/or existing wildfires. Prohibitions are a useful tool used to reduce the likelihood of more human-caused fires in anticipation of increased lightning-caused fires or during critical fire situations.”
People found violating the ban, the BCWS says, could face a ticket for $1,150, be required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail.
“If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.”
Related:
On Tuesday, Fire Information Officer Julia Caranci told 1130 NewsRadio that the ban is coming earlier than in previous years due to unusually warm weather and an ongoing drought in many areas.
“This is a bit earlier than we would see normally for the campfire prohibition, the Category 1,” Caranci said.
“But as everyone who lives in this area is aware, we have been in a warming and drying trend for about three weeks now.”
Due to the summer-like temperatures, the BCWS has upgraded Squamish to a high fire danger category.
Residents are encouraged to be on the lookout for any signs of wildfires in the community, as the elevated risk level means that forest fuels are very dry and new fires may start easily.
The Coastal Fire Centre will be the first in the province to prohibit Category 1 campfires.
The ban is expected to remain in place until Oct. 31.