Effective at noon today (Friday) all open burning, including campfires and fireworks have been banned across the Coastal Fire Centre. (Sea Cavalcade fireworks will not be affected by this ban.)
The ban was issued due to the tinder dry conditions in the forests and to prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.
The ban applies to open fires of any size, campfires, fireworks, tiki torches, burning barrels and beach fires above or below the tide line. The ban does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes.
The ban covers all BC Parks, Crown and private lands over the entire Coastal Fire Centre which includes the Sunshine Coast, North Island-Mid Coast, Pemberton, Fraser Valley, Lower Mainland, and all of Vancouver Island. The ban will remain in effect while the hot, dry conditions continue, according to the Coastal Fire Centre.
On the Sunshine Coast, the Sechelt, Roberts Creek and Egmont volunteer fire departments issued open fire bans on Tuesday afternoon in response to the Coastal Fire Centre ban. Campers who break the ban are subject to a $345 fine.
The current fire hazard in the Coastal Fire Centre is ranked high to extreme.
