Open fire and campfire bans coming into effect in B.C. amid dry lightning threat

With rising temperatures, gusty winds and lightning in the forecast, officials are urging people to prepare for a potential surge in fire activity.

VANCOUVER — Several open fire bans, including campfire prohibitions, are coming into effect over the next two days in parts of British Columbia as crews prepare for the threat of new blazes associated with dry lightning.

The Northwest Fire Centre is set to impose a Category 2 ban from noon Wednesday for its entire coverage region, limiting open fires to campfires under 0.5 metres in height and width.

That ban is to be followed on Thursday by a more-severe Category 1 ban that prohibits even small campfires in the Coastal Fire Centre region covering the entirety of B.C.’s south and central coast, Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii.

However, there are exceptions for some forest districts.

The new bans come on top of existing bans including those in the Kamloops Fire Centre in the B.C. Interior where Category 1 prohibitions are already in place.

There are about 20 active wildfires in B.C., but the province’s Wildfire Service has warned that there may be a significant uptick in fire activity this week with dry conditions combining with storms that may bring lightning and high winds but not substantial precipitation.

“Warming and drying conditions are expected to continue this week, spreading further north and west across the province,” the wildfire service says in its latest update. “Rising temperatures and low precipitation will further dry out available fuels, increasing the likelihood of wildfire ignition.”

Hundreds of homes remain on evacuation order or alert near Boston Bar due to the Brunswick complex of wildfires that are burning out of control.

The wildfire service says the Brunswick complex showed increased fire activity Tuesday after experiencing a lull due to rain and cooler temperatures over the weekend, and elevated activity is expected to persist through Thursday’s dry-lightning forecast.

“During this time, we can expect to see elevated fire behaviour and our priority will be to ensure the safety of our crews and all personnel working on the fires within the complex,” the service says in its update.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2026.