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The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) will rescind a campfire ban that was in effect across B.C.’s South Coast since last Thursday, saying current and forecasted weather conditions have meant wildfire risk has reduced.
A statement from the Coastal Fire Centre on Tuesday said that the campfire ban — the earliest such prohibition since records began being tracked in 2003 — was implemented due to prolonged hot and dry conditions across southwest B.C.
However, the fire centre said that an improving wildfire outlook means that campfires will once again be permitted starting at noon PT on Friday, May 15, ahead of the Victoria Day long weekend.
“Current and forecast conditions have since shifted, bringing cooler temperatures, improved humidity values and an overall reduction in wildfire hazard throughout the Coastal Fire Centre,” the statement said.
The B.C. Wildfire Service is responding to a blaze near Cultus Lake on Monday. With temperatures climbing, the fire danger is also rising. As CBC’s Kier Junos reports widespread fire bans are expected to be implemented by later this week.
Campfires — which fall under Category 1 fires, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service — are fires that are no more than half a metre high by half a metre wide.
A fire information officer had told CBC News that the Category 1 fire ban, which went into effect on the South Coast last Thursday, is the earliest time that prohibition has been enacted since the fire centre started tracking prohibitions in 2003.
Prior to that, the earliest time it was implemented was on June 8, 2023.
Record-breaking spring temperatures that arrived after a dry winter have triggered concern about the water supply and wildfire risk for much of B.C.
Larger Category 2 and Category 3 fires will remain banned across the Coastal Fire Centre.
Category 2 and Category 3 fires are banned in most of the rest of the province, including parts of northwest, north-central and northeast B.C. They include large pile fires and stubble fires.
Those fire bans, according to the BCWS, will last until mid-October unless they’re rescinded earlier.
Anyone breaching those bans could be hit with a $1,150 violation ticket, an administrative penalty of up to $10,000, or fines of up to $100,000 and one year in jail if convicted in court.
The Coastal Fire Centre said on Tuesday that anyone starting a campfire should not burn in windy conditions and never leave the fire unattended.
“Ensure the fire is fully extinguished before leaving the area,” the statement reads.
