Fire ban implemented in Comox Valley due to dry conditions

The Comox Valley is making moves to get ahead of the dry conditions by implementing a category 2 and 3 fire ban starting on noon on Tuesday.

This means that campfires will still be allowed in some areas, but open fires will not.

“Our spring has already been warmer and drier than usual, which makes it even more important to protect our community, property and beautiful landscapes around us,” Bruce Green, fire chief, Oyster River Fire Rescue said in a news release.

The category 2 and 3 ban applies to all areas of the Comox Valley Regional District’s fire protection areas, including Hornby and Denman Islands, City of Courtenay, Town of Comox, Village of Cumberland, and Ships Point Fire Protection Area.

“Campfires are still allowed in most areas, but you will need to confirm with the local fire department,” Green said. “At this time, beach fires will also still be permitted where allowed.”

Category 3 fires are open fires where three or more piles are burning at once, not exceeding two metres in height and three metres in width. Category 2 fires are open fires where one pile is burning, not exceeding two metres in height and three metres in width.

A campfire, or category 1 fire, is defined as any fire no larger than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide that is used for recreational purposes or by a First Nation for a ceremonial purpose.

“Avoid having a campfire when it’s windy, choose a proper fire pit or make a ring of rocks at least three metres from trees, shrubs, structures and debris, and do not leave a campfire unattended for ANY amount of time,” the B.C. government page on open fires says.

In B.C., penalties for breaking a fire ban can be issued a ticket of $1,050, be required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000, or fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail if convicted in court.

“If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs,” the B.C. government page on open burning says. “Violators could also be held responsible for damages to Crown resources, which could be significant.”

In 2023, the province had 2,245 wildfires and a total of 2,840,545 hectares burned. This was more than double the second highest number of hectares burned since 2017, which was in 2018 with 1,355,271 hectares burned.

The government says 72 per cent of the wildfires were natural caused and 25 per cent were human caused. Three per cent of fires had an undetermined cause.

The estimated cost of the wildfire suppression was $817 million.

The Coastal Fire Centre, which encompasses all of Vancouver Island and parts of the mainland, had 365 wildfires with 89,750 hectares burned. It had the fourth highest number of hectares burned out of the six fire centres. The Prince George Fire Centre had the highest number of hectares burned with 2,276,938.

RELATED: 

• APRIL 21: Multiple early season wildfires burning in B.C.’s Cariboo and Prince George regions
• APRIL 20: ‘It’s an ominous sign’: Island fire crews prepare for wildfire season

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