By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Campfire ban lifted in Coastal Fire Centre

Sep 18, 2017 | 5:14 PM

NANAIMO — It’s time to get the marshmallows and hot dogs out of the cupboard because campfires are once again allowed in parts of the mid-island region.

The Coastal Fire Centre lifted the ban on fires in their jurisdiction Monday afternoon, a little more than two months after the prohibition was put in place.

Fire information officer Jeanne Larsen said cooler weather and recent rain have significantly lowered the threat of starting a wildfire. Despite that, Larsen said people must remain vigilant.

“The top layer might be a little bit damp, but below that is still going to be fairly dry. That’s where we want people to take that extra time to make sure their campfires are safe, all that flammable material is kept away from the fire area,” Larsen told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Backyard burning, industrial burns, fireworks, sky lanterns and burn barrels are still banned, while tiki torches are allowed. Campfires must not be larger than a half-metre by a half-metre. On Tuesday morning, the City of Nanaimo issued a statement saying small outdoor cooking fires are once again permitted on private property.

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Larsen said for the most part people did a good job of respecting the extreme fire danger this summer. She said there were 98 fires in the Coastal Fire Centre this season, 93 of them person-caued. That’s down from the 10-year average of 184 fires per season.

“We didn’t get a lot of the lightning we had forecast…The rest can certainly be attributed to people being more cautious. People knew what was going on in the Interior and the southeast parts of the province and they didn’t want to to be happening here.”

island-news@jpbg.ca

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Note to readers: This is an updated article. The City of Nanaimo has lifted the ban on outdoor cooking fires on private property.