Campfire ban lifted in parts of Coastal Fire Centre

From the BC Wildfire Service:

Update:

Effective at noon on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016, campfires will once again be allowed throughout the Coastal Fire Centre's jurisdiction, except on the southern third of Vancouver Island within the South Island Forest District.

To help protect public safety, campfires remain prohibited in areas south of Hindoo Creek (just north of Buckley Bay), and south of Strathcona Park and Nootka Sound. However, campfires are still permitted within the "Fog Zone" - a band of land two kilometres wide that runs from Owen Point near Port Renfrew to the district boundary of Port Hardy.

The Lower Mainland and the northern two-thirds of Vancouver Island received rain over the weekend, and much of it fell in areas where the campfire ban is being lifted. More rain is in the forecast, so members of the public are encouraged to visit: www.bcwildfire.ca to get the latest information about open fire prohibitions in their area.

The existing Category 2 and Category 3 open burning prohibitions within the Coastal Fire Centre remain in place. Category 2 open fires are not permitted within the Coastal Fire Centre's jurisdictional area. Category 3 open fires are only permitted within Haida Gwaii.

A map showing all current prohibitions in the affected areas is available online at: See a map

A poster explaining the different categories of open fires is available online at: See an infographic

The use of fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns, burning barrels or burning cages of any size or description, or the use of binary exploding targets, is also prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre's jurisdictional area.

The prohibitions cover all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands within the Coastal Fire Centre, but do not apply within the boundaries of a local government that has wildfire prevention bylaws in place and is serviced by a fire department. Local governments may have their own burning restrictions in place, so always check with local authorities before lighting any fire of any size.

These prohibitions do not apply to CSA-rated or ULC-rated cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to a portable campfire apparatus that uses briquettes, liquid or gaseous fuel - so long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres.

Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

The Coastal Fire Centre covers all of the area west of the height of land on the Coast Mountain Range from the U.S.-Canada border at Manning Park, including Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park in the north, the Sunshine Coast, the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Haida Gwaii.

To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.

For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to: http://www.bcwildfire.ca

You can also follow the latest wildfire news on:
* Twitter at: https://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
* Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Previously: August 16, 2016

Campfires Prohibited in the Coastal Fire Centre

"Effective at 12 noon on August 17, 2016, campfires will be prohibited in all areas of the Coastal Fire Centre with the exception of Haida Gwaii and the area known as the ‘Fog Zone’. The Coastal Fire Centre is implementing this prohibition due to increased daily temperatures with no precipitation in the immediate forecast. This prohibition will remain in effect until October 21, 2016, or the public is otherwise notified."

* Please note: Open burning has been banned in the City of Courtenay since 2008.

"The Category 2 prohibition will remain in place and anyone conducting Category 3 fires anywhere in the Coastal Fire Centre, with the exception of Haida Gwaii and the "Fog Zone", must extinguish any such fires by noon on August 17, 2016.

This prohibition covers all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands within the Coastal Fire Centre, with the exception of Haida Gwaii and the area known as the "Fog Zone". It does not apply within the boundaries of a local government that has wildfire prevention bylaws in place and is serviced by a fire department.

The following uses will not be allowed:

• campfires, as defined by the wildfire regulation (burning of woody debris)
• open fires, of woody debris, in an outdoor stove
• tiki torches
• the use of 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).

The prohibition does not apply to CSA-rated or ULC-rated cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to a portable campfire apparatus that uses briquettes, liquid or gaseous fuel, as long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres. Other items, or activities, that remain are prohibited are the use of tiki torches, fireworks and sky lanterns.

Anyone who lights, fuels or uses an open fire when a fire prohibition is in place or fails to comply with an open fire prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150 or, if convicted in court, be fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be subject to a penalty of up to $100,000 and ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

The Coastal Fire Centre covers all of the area west of the height of land on the Coast Mountain Range from the U.S.-Canada border at Manning Park, including Tweedsmuir South Provincial

Park in the north, the Sunshine Coast, the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Haida Gwaii.

To report a wildfire, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.

For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to http://www.bcwildfire.ca

You can also follow the latest wildfire news on:

 Twitter at https://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo

 Facebook at http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo"