No more campfires this summer.
That's from the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) as it's set to ban the open-burning practice in the Coastal Fire Centre — which includes the Tri-Cities region — starting at noon tomorrow (Aug. 4).
The organization says this is to continue to protect the public and reduce wildfire risks in nearby BC Parks, and on Crown and private lands amid growing blazes elsewhere in the province and temperatures predicted to possibly reach the 40s in the weeks ahead.
Campfires are also prohibitied amid open-burning bylaws in cities like Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody as nearly 5,000 properties are said to border wildland–urban interfaces.
All three communities currently have a "moderate" fire rating, as of this publication (Aug. 3).
The bans, combined with earlier prohibitions on July 15 by the Coastal Fire Centre, have prohibited campfires, Category 2, or Category 3 open fires within the Tri-Cities and its surrounding areas until Oct. 28 at the latest.
Campfires are defined by the BCWS as fires used for the personal enjoyment of friends and family on a residential property.
For Category 2, this includes an open fire that burns:
- Material in one pile not exceeding two metres high and three metres wide
- Material concurrently in two piles each not exceeding two metres high and three metres wide
- Stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 hectares
For Category 3, this includes an open fire that burns:
- Material concurrently in three or more piles each not exceeding two metres high and three metres wide
- Material in one or more piles each exceeding two metres high and three metres wide
- One or more windrows
- Stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 hectares
As well, local residents cannot light up fireworks during the ban, as well as sky lanterns, binary exploding targets, burn barrels or burn cages of any size, and air curtain burners.
However, the BCWS says the campfire ban "does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or portable campfire devices that use briquettes, liquid, or gaseous fuel, provided they are CSA or ULC approved, and the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres."
A $1,150 fine may be issued to those found in violation of the order, while others may be handed more expensive tickets, including as high as $100,000, or even jail time if the incident is more severe.
This includes causing or contributing to a wildfire and that person may also be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs, the BCWS explains.
For more information, you can visit the Coastal Fire Centre's page on the BC Wildfire Service website.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, you're urged to call the service's toll-free line at 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on a cell phone.
