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For Immediate Release
May 12, 2026
Ministry of Forests
BC Wildfire Service
Campfires permitted across Coastal Fire Centre due to decreased fire risk
PARKSVILLE – Effective on Friday, May 15, 2026, at 12 p.m. (noon), the Category 1 campfire prohibition will be rescinded throughout the Coastal Fire Centre. Category 2 and Category 3 open burning will remain prohibited.
The Category 1 campfire prohibition was initially implemented due to a combination of elevated wildfire risk factors, including:
Prolonged hot and dry conditions;
Rising fire weather indices;
Elevated incidence of human-caused wildfires; and
Early season operational capacity.
Current and forecast conditions have since shifted, bringing cooler temperatures, improved humidity values and an overall reduction in wildfire hazard throughout the Coastal Fire Centre. Because of this, Category 1 campfires will be once again permitted under the Coastal Fire Centre jurisdiction.
Anyone choosing to light a Category 1 campfire must do so responsibly and in accordance with Section 20 of the Wildfire Regulation:
Do not burn in windy conditions
Establish and maintain a fuel break
Do not leave the fire unattended
Ensure the fire is fully extinguished before leaving the area
Carry out fire control immediately and/or report the fire if it spreads beyond the established fuel break
Category 2 and Category 3 open fires remain prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre's jurisdiction in addition to the following activities and equipment:
Fireworks (Fireworks Act);
Binary exploding targets;
Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description;
Controlled air incinerators
Air curtain burners; and
Carbonizers.
This prohibition applies to all areas within the Coastal Fire Centre that are outside of municipal boundaries. Municipalities may follow BC Wildfire Service prohibitions or may impose different prohibitions based on conditions in their local area. If you are in a municipality, be sure to check if local prohibitions are in place. If you are within a regional district or improvement district, this prohibition applies as well as any local prohibition issued by the local authority.
This prohibition also applies to the following types of land within municipal boundaries:
Parks, conservancies and recreation areas (Park Act);
Recreation sites, recreation trails, interpretive forest sites and trail-based recreation areas (Forest and Range Practices Act);
Ecological reserves (Ecological Reserve Act);
Wildlife management areas (Wildlife Act); and
Private managed forest land (Private Managed Forest Land Act).
An updated map of this prohibition area will be issued soon. For a description of fire centre boundaries, please visit: Fire Centres – BC Wildfire Service
For more information on open fires, prohibitions and restrictions, visit: gov.bc.ca/saferburning
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire, or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 tollfree, *5555 on a cell phone, or submit an electronic report through the BC Wildfire public mobile app.
For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, and more:
Visit BCWildfire.ca
Download the free BC Wildfire Service public mobile app or access the map and dashboard online
Follow the BC Wildfire Service on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
Contact:
Fire Information Officer
Coastal Fire Centre | BC Wildfire Service
250-951-4209 | [email protected]
Unsure if you need to register your burn? Want to know what your legal obligations are when open burning? Learn more about open burning in B.C.
