B.C. to ban campfires effective noon Wednesday

Jun 29, 2021 | 6:37 AM

VICTORIA — British Columbia’s record heat wave has forced the province to ban campfires.

The ban will remain in effect until October 15, or until the order is rescinded.

The BC Wildfire Service defines a campfire as any fire smaller than .5 metres high by .5 metres wide.

Anyone found breaking the ban could face a fine up to to 100,000 dollars and or sentenced to a year in jail.

In addition to campfires, Category 2, and Category 3 open fires, the following activities are also prohibited:

The use of fireworks
The use of sky lanterns
The use of burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description
The use of binary exploding targets
The use of tiki and similar kinds of torches
The use of chimineas
The use of outdoor stoves or other portable campfire apparatus without a Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Underwriter Laboratories of Canada (ULC) rating
The use of air curtain burners in Cariboo, Coastal, Northwest, Prince George and Southeast fire centres

To report a wildfire, unattended campfire, or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone.

by Greg Fry