Most fires, including campfires, will be permitted across the Coastal Fire Centre as of noon on Thursday, Sept. 16. (Freepik)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

LIGHT RESPONSIBLY

Burning restrictions to be removed for remaining areas of Vancouver Island

Sep 15, 2021 | 9:27 AM

NANAIMO — Campfires and other burning options will soon be permitted across Vancouver Island.

The Coastal Fire Centre is set to remove the final seasonal fire restrictions across its jurisdiction at noon on Thursday, Sept. 16, allowing campfires, category two and three open fires across the entire Coastal Fire Centre, including Vancouver Island.

Matt Bell, fire information officer, told NanaimoNewsNOW the return of seasonal temperatures helped lower the fire danger rating enough.

“We do have some cooler temperatures and rainfall that’s not only happened but is likely to be coming as well, [we wanted to give the public] the opportunity to have a safe backyard burn or any fire smart related activities they might want to do on their property.”

It comes two weeks after the province removed campfire restrictions in other areas of the province, but not the southern half of Vancouver Island.

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Removal of the bans mean burning barrels and cages, air curtain burners, exploding targets, sky lanterns and fireworks are all again permitted, in addition to campfires.

Certain fires, such as category three fires, are still subject to permits. Those fires are ones more than two metres high or three metres wide.

All fires are subject to local government burning restrictions.

As of Sept. 15, the Coastal Fire Centre has recorded 208 fire starts which burned 7,098 hectares. The ten year average for area burned is just over 21,000 hectares.

The largest fire on Vancouver Island was the 73 hectare Mt. Hayes fire which sparked in late August.

“As a year to year average, we’ve seen a little less this year which is obviously relief considering how some of the areas of B.C. were burning off much more aggressively.”

According to the BC Wildfire Service, the province has seen 1,594 fires since Apr. 1 with just under 60 per cent caused by lightning.

The fire danger rating on the mid island lowered dramatically in recent days to between low to moderate, after an extended period in the extreme range.

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