Campfires banned in B.C. until mid-October

Campfires and other open burning will be banned across the entire province starting at noon Wednesday, June 30 through to Oct. 15.

“The provincial weather forecast calls for record-breaking high temperatures throughout B.C. this week and follows a spring of lower-than-average precipitation in the southern half of the province. These conditions are expected to persist in the coming weeks,” a news release from the Ministry of Forests says.

"Camping is a long-standing tradition in this province. The B.C. government recognizes that people also enjoy having campfires, so it takes any decision to implement a campfire ban very seriously.”

Campfires are defined as fires smaller than 0.5 metres high and 0.5 metres wide. Larger open burning fires are also banned.

The ban also extends to things like fireworks, sky lanterns, burn barrels, binary exploding targets, tiki torches, Chimineas, outdoor stoves without Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Underwriter Laboratories of Canada (ULC) ratings.

Fire warden patrols, aircraft patrols and increased enforcement will also be taken.

People breaking the rules can be issued $1,150 tickets, may be forced to pay a penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail.

If the campfire triggers a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

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

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