Effective at noon on June 21, category one fires (campfires) will once again be permitted in the Sunshine Coast Resource District.
According to a media release from the Coastal Fire Centre, this change will be implemented due to cooler conditions and rainfall, which has reduced the fire danger rating in these areas. However, if conditions change, prohibitions may once again be enacted, the release stated.
Campfires will remain prohibited on Vancouver Island and most Gulf Islands – along with tiki and similar kind of torches and chimineas, until October 31, or until the order is rescinded.
Category two and category three fires will remain prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre region. This prohibition has been enacted to help prevent human-caused wildfires and to protect public safety and will be in place until October 31, or until the order is rescinded, the release stated.
The prohibition also restricts the following activities and equipment: fireworks; sky lanterns; burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description; binary exploding targets; air curtain burners.
The use of outdoor stoves is not prohibited. As per the Wildfire Regulation, an outdoor stove is a CSA-rated or ULC-rated device used outdoors for cooking, heat or ambiance that burns charcoal briquettes, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel, and has a flame height that is less than 15 centimetres tall, the release stated.
The prohibitions apply to all public and private land within the Coastal Fire Centre jurisdiction, unless specified otherwise in an enactment, such as in a local government bylaw. The release stated that people should always check with local government authorities to see if any other burning restrictions are in effect.
A map of the affected areas is available online at ow.ly/BtFy50OTioY.
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, according to the release. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, 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, follow the latest wildfire news on the free BC Wildfire Service public mobile app, available for Apple (iOS) and Android devices. Information is also available on Twitter at twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo and on Facebook at facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo.
