As B.C. grapples with historic high temperatures, the provincial government has banned campfires.
Campfires will be prohibited throughout B.C. as of Wednesday at noon, the province said Monday. A ban on Category 2 and Category 3 open fires was already in place.
The ban will stay in effect until Oct. 15 at noon or until the order is rescinded.
The ban comes after B.C. saw record high temperatures this week and a spring that saw less precipitation than normal.
A campfire is defined as any fire smaller than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide, according to the province.
The use of fireworks, sky lanterns, burn barrels or burn cages, chimineas, binary exploding targets, tiki and similar kinds of torches is also prohibited.
Sixty historic temperature records were smashed across B.C. on Sunday as a “prolonged and dangerous” heat wave continues, according to Environment Canada.
Heat warnings remain posted across B.C. and Alberta, large parts of Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and a section of Yukon as the weather office forecasts temperatures reaching 40 C in some areas.
— With files from Amy Judd