In the wake of a prolonged dry spell and heat wave, the municipality, Squamish Lillooet Regional District Coastal Fire Centre have announced a total fire ban this August long weekend. Fines of $345 will be levied for first time offenders as a no tolerance policy takes effect across the province.
According to Squamish Rescue firefighter Bob Fulton, anyone caught disobeying the fire ban can be issued the hefty fine by a conservation officer, a forestry officer or an RCMP officer.
"It's no tolerance, no warning, you get fined," said Fulton.
Minister of Forest and Range, Pat Bell warned the situation is dire.
"We are heading into the peak fire season and the fire danger rating for most of the province is high to extreme," said Bell. "Rain isn't expected in the immediate future so we are implementing these bans to limit the chance of human-caused fires."
Fires of any size, including campfires, fires with a burn registration number and industrial burning, fireworks, tiki torches and burning barrels are all banned.
Cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes are not banned.
Dangers are not limited to intentionally-lit fires however, and anyone caught being careless with incendiary material can also face punishment.
"If you ignore a campfire ban, you will be fined $345. If your recklessness causes a wildfire, you could be fined up to $1 million or spend three years in prison and be held responsible for fire suppression costs," said Bell. "Compliance and enforcement officers, including the RCMP, will be out in full force during the August long weekend."
The Coastal Fire Centre is responsible for wildfire response for about 2.1 million hectares of land so they need to distribute their resources wisely.
According to the Ministry of Forest and Range, as lightning becomes more common in the hot, dry summer months, it is crucial that crews are available to respond to naturally occurring wildfires. Person-caused wildfires divert critical resources away from managing these lightning-caused fires.
Anyone who sees any type of fire is encouraged to report it immediately and people have been doing just that.
