It鈥檚 time to bring out the propane-fueled portable campfires.
A campfire ban takes effect Thursday at noon in the coastal fire region, including the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, sea-to-sky area and the Sunshine Coast. It doesn鈥檛 include Haida Gwaii and the 鈥渇og zone,鈥� from Owen Point to Port Hardy.
The ban comes after weeks of increasing temperatures and little-to-no rain in the region. A campfire ban is already in effect in the Cariboo Fire Centre region.
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The ban includes:
- Campfires.
- Category 2 open fires.
- Category 3 open fires.
- The use of tiki torches, fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns, burning barrels or burning cages of any size or description.
- Fires burning woody debris in outdoor stoves.
- The use of binary exploding targets.
The prohibition does not ban cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes.
Smoking is only permitted on registered campsites or in private vehicles. However, if a cigarette butt flicked out the window starts a fire, expect a $575 fine.
The fine for ignoring a fire ban is $1,150. If convicted in court, an additional fine can be up to $100,000 and a sentence of one year in jail.
If the fire causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be subject to a penalty of up to $100,000 and ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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