B.C.’s wildfire branch has issued a wide-sweeping fire ban ahead of the impending heat wave descending on the South Coast.
Starting at noon on Saturday, campfires are only allowed on parts of northern Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii and the mid-coast portion of the mainland.
With rising temperatures and the increased danger of human-caused wildfires, the ban will remain in place until further notice, says the province’s wildfire branch.
A map of the affected areas is available here.
The ban includes all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands within the Coastal Fire Centre.
Other types of open fires, like land-clearing burn piles, fireworks and backyard burning are included in the sweeping prohibition.
The ban doesn’t apply to CSA and ULC-rated cooking stoves or portable campfire apparatuses that use gas, propane or briquettes, however.
Anyone who is caught having a fire can face a $345 ticket and fines of up to $100,000, or jail time, if their actions lead to a wildfire.
