Campfires and outdoor open fires of any kind are now prohibited in Nanaimo, and Langford will soon follow suit.

Both cities issued bans Tuesday amid soaring temperatures that have triggered heat warnings from Environment Canada.

Nanaimo's municipal ban comes one day before a sweeping campfire ban goes into effect for provincial parks on B.C.'s South Coast.

The open fire ban includes any outdoor wood fires like campfires and cooking fires, while potential fire risks like sky lanterns and tiki torches are also prohibited.

The rules apply to all municipal land including parks. The ban not include cooking devices fueled by propane, natural gas, naptha, kerosene, or charcoal briquettes, and also doesn't apply to devices started by electricity such as barbecues, grills, smokers and portable or fixed campfire devices.

"Solid fuel (wood) fires are not permitted because they produce embers. These embers, combined with dry and windy conditions, can be exceptionally dangerous," Nanaimo Fire Chief Karen Fry said in a news release.

Smoking is also prohibited in all municipal parks, the city said.

The City of Langford, City of Campbell River and Town of Qualicum Beach have all announced similar bans that will take effect Wednesday at noon.

A campfire ban on all provincial park land, Crown land and private property in the Coastal Fire Centre zone will go into effect Wednesday at noon, the Coastal Fire Centre confirmed this week.

The Coastal Fire Centre area includes Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, with the exception of Haida Gwaii and the "fog zone" running down the western coast of Vancouver Island.

As of Tuesday, the fire danger rating for the South Island up to the Nanaimo area was listed as "extreme," the highest such rating given by the BC Wildfire Service.

It means that forests are extremely dry and new fires can start easily and spread rapidly.

The BC Wildfire Service tweeted a graphic showing how fire danger ratings have progressed in the province since the beginning of July.