Coastal Fire Centre Status Report for the week ending June 21
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The recent downturn in the weather has eased the fire danger in some parts of the Coastal Fire Centre. As a result, effective at noon Pacific Daylight Time on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 Category 1 fires (campfires) are once again permitted in the Sea to Sky Resource District, Sunshine Coast Resource District, the Chilliwack Resource District, and the portion of the Central Coast Regional District that falls within the North Island Central Coast Resource District. Campfires will continue to be permitted in the Haida Gwaii Resource District.
It is important to note that if conditions change, prohibitions may once again be enacted.
Vancouver Island missed most of the precipitation that was received in other portions of the fire centre - conditions on the island are still dry - for this reason campfires will remain prohibited on Vancouver Island and most Gulf Islands until October 31, 2023, or until the order is rescinded.
For those areas where campfires will now be allowed, residents must always follow the guidelines below:
A campfire is defined as any fire smaller than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide.
Never light a campfire or keep it burning in windy conditions. Weather can change quickly, and the wind may carry embers to other combustible material.
Maintain a fireguard around your campfire. This is a fuel-free area where all flammable materials (grass, leaves, kindling, etc.) have been removed right down to the soil.
Never leave a fire unattended, and ensure it remains in control within your fireguard.
Make sure that any fire is completely extinguished, and the ashes are cold to the touch before leaving the area for any length of time.
Any fire that violates any of the above guidelines is an illegal fire, and can be reported to the RAPP line: 1-877-952-7277
Category 2 and Category 3 fires are prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre, now including the Haida Gwaii Resource District.
The Category 2 and Category 3 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
Tiki and similar kind of torches; and,
Chimineas.
Current prohibitions do not include the use of outdoor stoves or portable campfire devices as defined within the Wildfire Regulation. 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 cm tall.
So far this year in the Coastal Fire Centre, there have been 72 fires, all of which are suspected to be human-caused. Last year on this date, we had responded to 6 fires. However, last year we received significant precipitation in May and June.
There are currently 7 fires burning in the Coastal Fire Centre and all are suspected to be human-caused.
The Cameron Bluffs Fire (V70600) is no longer considered a Wildfire of Note. There are currently no Wildfire of Notes in the Coastal Fire Centre.
Please check www.bcwildfire.ca for the most up to date information on open burning bans and current wildfires within the Coastal Fire Centre.