Fire ban coming into effect for coastal B.C. this week

Campfire (FILE)

A ban on open fires is coming into effect across coastal British Columbia on Thursday, in an effort to reduce human-caused wildfires as temperatures rise.

Beginning at 12 p.m. Thursday, categories 1, 2 and 3 open fires will be prohibited in the Coastal Fire Centre, with the exception of Haida Gwaii where campfires remain allowed. The ban will remain in place until Oct. 31, unless officials rescind it.

Category 1 fires are campfires less than half-a-metre high and half-a-metre wide, while categories 2 and 3 include open fires burning larger piles of materials or grass.

The fire ban also includes other devices like fireworks, sky lanterns, wood-fired hot tubs and burn barrels. Outdoor stoves are still allowed.

Fire danger ratings were moderate-to-high across the region on Tuesday, except for a pocket of extreme danger north of the Sunshine Coast, and eight wildfires were actively burning.

“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,” the BCWS wrote in a notice Tuesday. “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.”

The vast majority of wildfires sparked in B.C. so far this year are suspected to be caused by human activity.

Violating a fire ban can result in a $1,150 ticket or fines of up to $100,000 and up to a year in jail if convicted in court.