As temperatures in Whistler climb this week, so too does the risk of wildfire.
According to the BC Wildfire Service, the fire danger rating in the resort is forecast to hit extreme on Wednesday as temperatures climb past 30 C.
No fires of any kind are allowed in Whistler now until Sept. 15, no matter the fire danger rating—including campfires and fireworks.
Beyond Whistler, a Category 1 open fire prohibition is in place throughout the Coastal Fire Centre, banning campfires and backyard burns. The order will remain in place until Oct. 31, or until it is rescinded by officials. Anyone in contravention of a BC Wildfire Service prohibition can be ticketed $1,150, or a penalty up to $100,000, and sentenced to up to one year in prison. If your fire results in a wildfire, you can also be ordered to pay the government’s cost to suppress the fire and other damages.
In Whistler, the fine for having a fire without a permit is $500, reduced to $300 if paid within 14 days. The fine for having a campfire during a ban, as Whistler is now under until Sept. 15, is $1,000. The RCMP and COS can also issue an additional $1,150 ticket for fire-related infractions.
According to the Resort Municipality of Whistler, there were 35 calls reporting outdoor burning in 2024, though not all of them led to direct enforcement.
"Often, we receive complaints over illegal fires that, upon investigation, turn out to be something else, like someone using a propane appliance, which is permitted. In some cases, crews arrive onsite to find an abandoned fire, with nobody around to fine. In other instances, fires are called in from areas outside of our jurisdiction," a municipal communications official said in an email to Pique. "It’s also not unusual for open burns to be called in when there is no fire ban in place (although a permit is still required). Seventeen of the fires reported last year fall into this category. Many of these 17 were abandoned campfires, some related to propane appliances, and a few with people on scene that were unaware of the permit requirement. We often rely on education in these instances rather than issuing fines."
But at the end of the day, "blatant disregard of the bylaw and/or fire ban is strictly enforced," they added.
Find more info and resources at whistler.ca/wildfire. See smoke? In Whistler, report it by calling 911. Outside municipal boundaries, call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on a cell phone.
