Sustained high temperatures throughout British Columbia this week are increasing the potential for wildfires, the Province warns. Residents, travellers and campers should be prepared for wildfire and heat, to have an emergency plan and to stay informed as conditions change.
The BC Wildfire Service is closely monitoring these changing conditions and making necessary preparations with strategic aviation and crew placements. Of note is the potential for widespread lightning when the current weather pattern changes.
Category 2 and Category 3 open fires are prohibited throughout British Columbia. Campfires are currently permitted within the BC Wildfire Service’s jurisdiction. Patrols will be in place on Crown land.
Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, 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 one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
Between April 1, 2022, and the morning of July 28, 2022, 380 wildfires have burned more than 13,000 hectares in British Columbia. People have caused 52% of those fires. Human-caused fires are completely preventable and may cause the BC Wildfire Service to divert resources away from responding to naturally occurring fires.
