Campfire ban in effect for Vancouver Island starting June 8

Campfire ban in effect for Vancouver Island starting June 8
Roman Pohorecki/Pexels

To help reduce risk of wildfires, the Coastal Fire Centre is implementing a campfire ban for most of its region, which covers all of Vancouver Island and parts of the Mainland.

The only exception to the campfire ban is the Haida Gwaii Forest District.

This expands on the open fire ban that was implemented on May 18.

READ MORE: Open fire ban for Vancouver Island coming into effect on May 18

The ban covers all types of fires except the use of outdoor stoves, which is defined as a CSO or ULC-rated device used for cooking, heat, or ambiance that burns charcoal briquettes, liquid fuel, or gaseous fuel with a flame less than 15 cm tall.

Anyone who lights a fire in contravention of the fire ban is subject to a $1,150 ticket. If convicted in court the fines can go up to $100,000 and/or one year in jail.

If the fire leads to a wildfire, the person may be subject to a penalty of up to $100,000 and be required to pay for all firefighting costs.

There are currently 78 active wildfires in B.C., with people being the suspected cause of 32 of them.

So far in 2023, there have been 385 wildfires, with people being the suspected cause of 239.

Anyone who sees a wildfire is asked to report it by calling 1-800-663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone.

Laura BroughamLaura Brougham

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