Sweeping bans coming to Coastal Fire Centre

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Julia Caranci, regional fire information officer, told NanaimoNewsNOW ongoing assessments of drying forests caused be this extended weather pattern required this move.  

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“Within the Coastal Fire Centre over the last approximately three weeks as most people are aware we’ve been in quite an alarming warming and drying trend, and over that time period we’ve seen our indices begin to pick up and our fire danger begin to pick up.” 

Wide-ranging fire prohibitions this early in the season is an unusual precedent, marking the earliest date in recent memory that a campfire ban is being applied.

Coastal Fire Centre campfire bans were applied for each of the last five years, with the earliest such application during that time occurring in 2023 on June 8.

Shades of orange shows most of the mid-Island region is under a high fire danger threat as of Tuesday, May 5. (Image Credit: BC Wildfire Service)

Caranci said their three burn categories offer officials options to implement certain restrictions or pull them back of conditions allow for certain regions within the Coastal Fire Centre. 

“That’s the advantage of being able to be flexible with putting the prohibitions on and taking them off; we can pivot to the conditions which is what we’re doing now.” 

While many people are excited about sunshine and warmth, BC Wildfire Service officials are hoping for sustained pockets of rain over the next two months since very little precipitation can be counted on for July and August. 

“We don’t really know what kind of wildfire season we’re going to have until we get through that key month of June,” Caranci said. 

Since April 1, the Coastal Fire Centre has seen 25 wildfires, including 12 on Vancouver Island, compared to last year’s pace of 15 fires, five of which were on the Island, according to Caranci. 

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