As the people of B.C. anticipate a beautiful summer, so do they dread the ensuing threat of wildfires.
Many communities throughout the province are preparing for such emergencies, and restrictions are beginning to roll out. The first of these includes a prohibition on Category 2 and Category 3 open fires by the Coastal Fire Centre. This prohibition does not include campfires, which are considered Category 1 and will be permissible for the time being – unless local restrictions state otherwise.
The ban will come into effect on Friday, May 30, and will end most burning activity throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction until Oct. 31. These areas include Vancouver Island, many of the Gulf Islands, the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast. However, the Haida Gwaii Forest District will be allowed to continue Category 3 burning for the time being.
“This prohibition is being enacted to help reduce human-caused wildfires and for public safety,” reads a statement from the Coastal Fire Centre, shared by the District of Sooke.
The prohibition applies to all areas in the fire centre outside municipal boundaries and to some land types within municipalities. These include parks, conservancies, recreation sites and trails, interpretive forest sites, trail-based recreation areas, ecological reserves, wildlife management areas and privately managed forest land.
Many municipalities will follow BC Wildfire Service prohibitions or impose different restrictions based on local conditions. Residents within municipalities are encouraged to check local fire bans alongside those issued by the Coastal Fire Centre. Residents in a regional or improvement district will be subject to this prohibition as well as any other applicable local regulations.
In Sooke, backyard burning has already been prohibited as of April 30.
Category 2 open fires are any open fires – other than Category 1 campfires – that meet one of the following criteria: burning material in one pile not exceeding two metres in height and three metres in width; burning material concurrently in two piles of that size; or burning stubble or grass over an area not exceeding 0.2 hectares.
Category 3 open fires meet similar criteria but include burning material in three or more piles of the same size; burning material in one pile exceeding two metres in height or three metres in width; burning one or more windrows not exceeding 200 metres in length or 15 metres in width; or burning stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 hectares.
A number of other fire-related activities will also be prohibited, including the use of fireworks, binary exploding targets, burn barrels or burn cages of any size, controlled air incinerators, air curtain burners and carbonizers.
While the prohibition excludes campfires, they must be kept to a maximum of 0.5 metres in height and 0.5 metres in width.
“Anyone lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire area and have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire,” the statement adds.
To report a wildfire, call 1-800-663-5555, *5555 on a cellphone, or use the BC Wildfire Service app. For more updates on wildfire activity, bans and restrictions, visit www.bcwildfire.ca.
