Effective at noon June 8, campfires will be prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre region, which includes the qathet area, except for the Haida Gwaii forest district. According to an information bulletin from the coastal fire centre, this prohibition is being enacted to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.
The bulletin stated that these prohibitions apply to all public and private land within the Coastal Fire Centre jurisdiction, unless specified otherwise in an enactment (for example, in a local government bylaw). The bulletin stated to always check with local government authorities to see if any other burning restrictions are in effect.
This prohibition will be in place until October 31, or until the order is rescinded. A map of the affected areas is available online at ow.ly/xuuw50OHiff.
On June 8, the types of open fires listed are prohibited in the Coastal Fire Centre, with the exception of the Haida Gwaii Forest District, include: category one campfires as defined in the wildfire regulation; category two open fires as defined in the wildfire regulation; category three open fires as defined in the wildfire regulation.
In addition to open fires being prohibited, the following activities and equipment are also restricted: fireworks; sky lanterns; burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description; binary exploding targets; air curtain burners; tiki and similar kind of torches; chimineas.
The bulletin states that this prohibition does not include the use of outdoor stoves. As per the wildfire regulation, an outdoor stove is a CSA-rated or ULC-rated device used outdoors for cooking, heat or ambiance that burns charcoal briquettes, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel, and has a flame height that is less than 15 centimetres tall.
Anyone who lights, fuels or uses an open fire when a fire prohibition is in place or fails to comply with an open fire prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150 or, if convicted in court, be fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail, according to the bulletin. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be subject to a penalty of up to $100,000 and ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
To report a wildfire, call 1.800.663.5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone. For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to: bcwildfire.ca.
Follow the latest wildfire news: on the free BC Wildfire Service public mobile app, available for Apple (iOS) and Android devices, on Twitter at twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo, and on Facebook at facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo.
