Campers on B.C.’s west coast will have to forsake the marshmallows this weekend, with a campfire ban taking effect Thursday at noon.
The ban covers all open fires throughout the Coastal Fire Centre, with the exception of Haida Gwaii and a two-kilometre strip along the coast of Vancouver Island known as the “Fog Zone.”
The Coastal Fire Centre includes all of Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, Sea to Sky area, Sunshine Coast, central coast and Haida Gwaii.
The BC Wildfire Service says it’s implementing the ban because of soaring temperatures and an extended upcoming period with no rain in the forecast.
The complete ban includes:
- Campfires,
- Category 2 open fires,
- Category 3 open fires,
- Fires burning woody debris in outdoor stoves,
- The use of tiki torches, fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns, burning barrels or burning cages of any size or description,
- The use of binary exploding targets (e.g. for rifle target practice).
It does not include properly rated cooking stoves that use gas, propane, or briquettes.
Anyone caught breaking the ban could be on the hook for an $1,150 fine, an administrative penalty of up to $10,000, or if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to a year in jail.
If a fire started while the ban is in place starts a wildfire, the person responsible can be ordered to pay all costs associated with fighting the fire.
A campfire ban is also currently in effect in the Cariboo Fire Centre, while restrictions on larger open fires in the Kamloops, Prince George, Coastal, and Southeast Fire Centres.