Effective at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, all open fires will again be permitted throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction. Recent rainfall and cooler temperatures have reduced wildfire risks in the region.
Category 2 open fires will be permitted, as well as the use of tiki torches, burn barrels, fireworks, sky lanterns and binary exploding targets.
Campfire and Category 3 open fire restrictions were not implemented this summer, so with the lifting of this prohibition, there will be no open fire bans within the Coastal Fire Centre.
Local governments may still have their own burning restrictions in place, so people should always check with local authorities before lighting any fire of any size.
Anyone lighting a Category 3 fire must first obtain a burn registration number by calling 1 888 797-1717. A Category 3 fire is a fire that burns material more than two metres high or three metres wide, stubble or grass of more than 2,000 square metres, or more than two piles of any size.
A poster explaining the different categories of open fires is available online here.
Anyone who lights a fire must comply with B.C.’s air quality control legislation. The BC Wildfire Service urges people to take the following precautions with any permitted outdoor burning:
Ensure that enough people, water and tools are on hand to control the fire and stop it from escaping.
Do not burn in windy conditions. The weather can change quickly and the wind may carry embers to other combustible material and start new fires.
Create a fireguard around the planned fire site by clearing away twigs, grass, leaves and other combustible material.
Never leave a fire unattended.
Make sure the fire is fully extinguished and the ashes are cold to the touch before leaving the area for any length of time.
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.
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