Campfires banned on most of Island

• Fires allowed in fog zone • Gas, propane, briquette stoves OK • Nanaimo brings in full ban on open fires

B.C. has banned campfires for the rest of the summer on most of Vancouver Island and on the Gulf Islands because of forecasts of high temperatures and little rain.

Also banned are tiki torches, open fires burning wood debris in outdoor stoves, fireworks, burning barrels, exploding targets used for rifle target practice, and sky lanterns made out of paper.

The ban does not include CSA-rated or ULC-rated cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes. Smaller portable devices using briquettes, liquid or gaseous fuel are allowed as long as any flames are lower than 15 centimetres.

The ban comes into effect at noon today. It covers B.C.’s Coastal Fire Centre, which stretches over western B.C. and includes Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, the area up to Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park.

Haida Gwaii and Vancouver Island’s fog zone are exempted from the ban.

The fog zone is a two-kilometre strip of land from the high-tide point. It runs from Owen Point near Port Renfrew, along the west coast and northern end of Vancouver Island, over to the boundary of the District of Port Hardy.

Since the beginning of April, 69 per cent of wildfires in the coastal area have been caused by people, according to B.C.’s Ministry of Forests.

Regulations banning fires cover public and private land, unless local governments have other rules.

The City of Nanaimo implemented a full ban on open fires on Tuesday. Campfires, tiki torches and sky lanterns are prohibited. “Solid fuel [wood] fires are not permitted because they produce embers. These embers, combined with dry and windy conditions, can be exceptionally dangerous,” said Karen Fry, Nanaimo’s fire chief and director of public safety.

Nanaimo does allow cooking devices fueled by propane, natural gas, naptha, kerosene, charcoal briquettes or electricity. Briquettes must be fully extinguished after use.