A ban on opening burning activities is set to go into effect throughout the Coastal Fire Centre starting on Wednesday, June 23.
Category 2 and 3 open fires will be prohibited throughout the jurisdiction — which includes Squamish and the Sea to Sky — except Haida Gwaii.
That means campfires are still allowed (as long as they are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller), but fireworks, sky lanterns, binary exploding targets, burn barrels or burn cages of any size and air curtain burners are not allowed.
The category 2 fire ban prohibits open fires with:
· Burn material in one pile not exceeding two metres in height and three metres in width
· burn material concurrently in two piles each not exceeding two metres in height and three metres in width
· burn stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 hectares.
Category 3 fire bans prohibit open fires with:
· material concurrently in three or more piles each not exceeding two metres in height and three metres in width
· material in one or more piles each exceeding two metres in height or three metres in width
· one or more windrows
· stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 ha.
Anyone found in violation of the fire prohibition can be ticketed $1,500, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/ or sentenced to a year in jail.
If they’re found guilty of causing or contributing to a wildfire, they could be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
