Effective at noon on July 23, 2014, campfires will once again be permitted throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction.
The Coastal Fire Centre is rescinding its campfire prohibition due to forecasted cool and rainy weather conditions.
The following uses will now be allowed:
• campfires, as defined by the wildfire regulation
• open fires in an outdoor stove
The long-term forecast, however, is for a return to hot and dry conditions after the weekend.
These conditions will likely result in the reintroduction of a campfire ban prior to the August long weekend.
The public is reminded that campfires cannot be larger than a half-metre high by a half-metre wide. Anyone who lights a campfire must have a hand tool (such as a shovel) or at least eight litres of water available to fully extinguish it. Never leave a campfire unattended and make sure that the ashes are completely cold to the touch before leaving the area for any length of time.
Small backyard burning piles (Category 2 fires) remain prohibited within the Coastal Fire Centre, except in Haida Gwaii and the area known as the “fog zone”. The fog zone is a twokilometre-wide strip along the outer coast of Vancouver Island, stretching from Owen Point (near Port Renfrew) north to the tip of Vancouver Island and around to the boundary of the District of Port Hardy. This strip extends inland two kilometres from the high-tide point.