The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and B.C. Wildfire Service has issued a ban on all open fires.
As of noon, Thursday (July 6), all open fires, including campfires, will be prohibited.
The ban is the result of rising temperatures and no precipitation predicted in the weather forecast and will remain in effect until Oct. 21 or until the public is notified otherwise.
The prohibition covers all B.C. Parks, Crown lands and private lands within the Coastal Fire Centre with the exception of Haida Gwaii and the area known as the Fog Zone.
The City of Nanaimo is also following suit with a ban on all open burning, including cooking fires, within city limits. Residents should also check with local authorities for any other restrictions before lighting any fire.
The ban includes the use of tiki torches, fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns, burning barrels or burning cages of any size or description and binary exploding rifle targets.
Penalties for contravening the ban range from a violation ticket for $1,150, up to $100,000 and one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may also be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
The Fog Zone is a two-kilometre strip of land along the outer coast of Vancouver Island, stretching from Owen Point, near Port Renfrew, north to the tip of the Island and around to the boundary of the District of Port Hardy. The Fog Zone extends inland two kilometres from the high tide point.
A map of the Fog Zone is available online at http://ow.ly/bCJc30caIul.
To report wildfire or open burning violations, call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.
For information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to http://www.bcwildfire.ca, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo.