After a significant warm spell, the Coastal Fire Centre and the District of Squamish are banning campfires in and around Squamish.
The prohibitions go into effect at noon on Thursday, Aug. 4.
The Coastal Fire Ban applies to Electoral Area D, the rural zone just outside of the municipality’s jurisdiction.
Further, all campfires within the District of Squamish will be prohibited, and all campfire permits within the District of Squamish will be suspended until the provincial fire ban is rescinded.
According to a BC Wildfire Service news release, the ban aims to reduce wildfire risk and protect public safety.
The bans, combined with earlier prohibitions by both the Coastal Fire Centre and the District, have prohibited campfires, Category 2, or Category 3 open fires within Squamish or the surrounding area until further notice.
Campfires are defined as fires used for the personal enjoyment of friends and family on a residential property.
A Category 2 open fire refers to a burn no larger than two metres in height and three metres in width.
It can also refer to a burn involving two piles, each not exceeding two metres high and three metres wide, or a stubble or grass burn over an area that does not exceed 0.2 hectares, or 2,000 square metres.
Category 3 burns refer to open fires burning concurrently in 3 or more piles, each no bigger than two meters in height and three metres in width.
It also can refer to burns that have material in one or more piles, each exceeding two metres in height or three metres in width, or a stubble or grass fire over an area exceeding 0.2 ha.
Also prohibited are the following:
•Fireworks;
•Sky lanterns;
•Binary exploding targets;
•Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description; and,
•Air curtain burners
The campfire prohibition 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.
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.
If someone causes or contributes to a wildfire when a ban is in place, 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: http://www.bcwildfire.ca
