A ban on Category 2 open fires is coming into effect Thursday at noon, the Coastal Fire Centre has confirmed.
The ban will apply throughout the Coastal Fire Centre, said fire information officer Marg Drysdale.
“Category 2 is largely backyard burning or debris burning,” she said. “Those are going to be prohibited.”
Category 2 fires are defined as one or two burning piles no larger than two metres high by three metres wide, and stubble or grass burning over an area of 0.2 hectares.
The ban will also cover fires including tiki torches and burn barrels, Drysdale said, adding that a complete list will be released later today.
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Local burn bylaws take precedence over the Coastal Fire Centre’s ban, she said.
The Coastal Fire Centre includes roughly 16.5 million hectares of land in southwest B.C., including the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Haida Gwaii.
Campfires will still be allowed – those are defined as any fire smaller than half a metre high and half a metre wide – along with Category 3 burns, large industrial burn that require a registration number.
“We also do site visits and monitor those very carefully,” Drysdale said.
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