Burn barrels are among the fire types banned by the Coastal Fire Centre, effective Thursday, May 17 at 12 p.m. (Dreamstime)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

summer heat

Coastal Fire Centre to ban larger fires ahead of May long weekend

May 17, 2023 | 10:49 AM

NANAIMO — Spurred on by record temperatures, the Coastal Fire Centre is issuing their first fire ban of the season.

Beginning Thursday, May 18 at 12 p.m., both category two and three fires will be banned across the entire Fire Centre jurisdiction, including all of Vancouver Island.

“It’s the backyard burning and the industrial burning,’ Julia Caranci, fire information officer, said. “Some other activities that will also be prohibited once this goes into effect includes fireworks, sky lanterns, binary exploding targets, burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description and air curtain burners.”

Campfires, however, remain off the banned list for now.

Caranci said those are considered category one fires and must be no larger than a half metre by half metre.

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“We are definitely with the heat and the warmer than average temperatures that we’ve been having over this last while, we are continuing to urge the public to use extreme caution.”

She said if people are lighting up a campfire this long weekend to do so responsibly by ensuring they have plenty of water to extinguish it properly, have a fire guard in place and ensure the fire is watched at all times.

When finished, campers are required to ensure the fire pit is cool to the touch.

“We’re going to have many people out and about over this long weekend, it likely will be one of the busier May long weekend we have. Please remember to check the BC Wildfire Service website regularly, make sure you download the BC Wildfire Service app on your phone so you know where any active wildfires are.”

The BC Wildfire Services lists two human-caused fires on Vancouver Island, as of Wednesday, May 17, both under control and small in size.

A one hectare fire north of Sayward on northern Vancouver Island is not expected to grow any further, nor is a small site southwest of Nanaimo near Dunsmuir Creek.

The situation on Vancouver Island is a vast contrast to conditions in northeastern B.C. and northern Alberta.

The B-C Wildfire Service has 400 fire personnel, 22 pieces of heavy equipment and 22 helicopters in the vicinity of four fires burning close to the city of Fort St. John.

The community of 21,000 remains on evacuation alert in the face of a weather forecast calling for hotter temperatures and a change in the wind.

Officials say parts of B.C. are already in the midst of their core fire season months ahead of schedule.

Meanwhile, fires burning in Alberta have forced almost 20,000 people from their homes.

— with files from 97.3 The Eagle and The Canadian Press

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