As B.C. continues to battle hundreds of wildfires, a province-wide campfire ban has been put into effect.
Firefighters were battling more than 200 wildfires across the province as of Monday.
B.C. Wildfire Service said that unless circumstances change, the ban will be in place until Oct. 21.
The release said the ban is expected to “help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.”
Coastal Fire Centre was the first to impose a ban last week, with Cariboo, Kamloops and Southeast following days later.
Northwest Fire Centre is the last to join, expanding the ban across the region.
The following activities are prohibited:
- Campfires
- Category 2 open fires
- Category 3 open fires
- The burning of any waste, slash or other materials
- Stubble or grass fires of any size over any area
- The use of stoves and other portable campfire apparatuses that are not CSA-approved or ULC-approved
- 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)
FULL COVERAGE: Wildfires burning around B.C.
Anyone caught breaking the rules can be fined more than $1,000, required to pay a $10,000 penalty, or fined up to $100,000 and sentenced to one year in jail.