Starting at noon on May 30, most open burns will be prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre area, including the Sea-to-Sky. The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) announced the prohibition to help reduce the likelihood of wildfires this summer.
The order applies to areas within the fire centre that are outside of municipal boundaries, including parks, trails, ecological reserves, and privately managed forest land; municipalities often follow the BCWS’ guidance, but can also impose different prohibitions based on conditions in their local area. Whistler has banned fires and residential campfires.
A map of the areas where BCWS bans are now in place is available online.
Burning piles of flammable debris, stubble or grass, one or more windrows—a long line of raked hay or sheaves or grain—is is all banned as part of prohibitions on Category 2 and 3 fires.
The BCWS has also banned the use of fireworks, binary explosive targets used for firearms practice, burn barrels or cages, controlled air incinerators, air curtain burners and carbonizers.
The ban does not apply to small campfires (half-a-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller) or cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes. Those who build a campfire are asked to remove flammable debris from the area and have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water nearby to extinguish the fire.
The ban will be in place until Oct. 31, or under the order is rescinded.
Anyone still holding Category 2 and 3 open fires may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, have to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000, or, if convicted, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. Should the open fires lead to a wildfire, those responsible may also be ordered to pay for all firefighting and other associated costs.
To report a wildfire, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free, dial *5555 on a cell phone or report via the BC Wildfire Service App. Information on wildfire activity and burning restrictions can be found on BCWS’ website and Facebook page.
