BC Forest Service Fire Restrictions Update

Effective at noon on Saturday September 5, 2009 and until further notice, campfires are permitted throughout the Coastal Fire Centre area. The Campfire ban that has been in place in the Coastal Fire Centre area since June 27, 2000 will be rescinded pursuant to Section 10(1) (a) of the Wildfire Act. All other open burning restrictions within the coastal Fire Centre area will remain in place until further notice.

Under the Wildfire Regulation, a campfire is considered a Category 1 open fire. A Category 1 open fire means an open fire that burns piled material no larger than 1 metre in height and 1 metre in diameter and includes a campfire. A person may light or make use of a Category 1 open fire when:
 There are no other restrictions in place for doing so;
 Doing so is, and will continue to be, safe;
 Reasonable precautions are taken to en-sure the fire is contained;
 The person is equipped with at least one fire fighting hand tool and attends the fire to prevent its escape;
 The person carries out fire control and reports the fire if it spreads beyond the burn area; and
 The person ensures the fire is extin-guished before leaving the area.
We are asking all citizens to be responsible! Over half of the wildfires in BC are caused by people and are preventable. To report a wildfire or unattended campfire call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on most cellular networks. For more information on open fire restrictions or for updates on current wildfire activity, visit www.bcwildfire.ca.
 Allow the wood to burn completely to ash, if possible
 Pour lots of water on the fire, drown ALL embers, not just the red ones
 Pour until hissing sound stops
 Stir the campfire ashes and embers with a shovel
 Scrape the sticks and logs to remove any embers
 Stir and make sure everything is wet and they are cold to the touch
 If you do not have water, use dirt. Mix enough dirt or sand with the embers. Continue adding and stirring until all material is cool.
Remember: do NOT bury the fire as the fire will continue to smolder and could catch roots on fire that will eventually get to the surface and start a wildfire.
Starting a campfire means you are responsible for seeing it is safely and effectively put out!