Burn barrels and other larger, open fires will be prohibited by the Coastal Fire Centre beginning at noon on Friday, May 30. (Dreamstime)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

fire season

First fire ban coming for Vancouver Island & Coastal Fire Centre

May 28, 2025 | 8:48 AM

NANAIMO — Larger, open fires are set to be banned for the summer months, effective at the end of this week.

The Coastal Fire Centre will enact a sweeping ban on category two and three fires beginning at noon on Friday, May 30, a typical first step in their fire prevention efforts every summer.

Banned across Vancouver Island and a vast majority of coastal B.C. will be large burn piles or burns over stubble or grass to certain measurements.

Also banned are fireworks, exploding targets, burn barrels and cages, air curtain burners and other, similar open flames.

The bans will remain in place until Oct. 31, unless removed earlier by the BC Wildfire Service and Coastal Fire Centre.

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Campfires remain available to use, provided the fire measures at most half a metre by half a metre in size and is properly managed and extinguished after use.

Cooking stokes using gas, propane or briquettes are also still permitted.

“Anyone lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire area and have a hand tool or at least 8 litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire,” the BC Wildfire Service noted in a release.

A map of fire prohibitions, effective Friday, May 30 at 12 p.m. (BC Wildfire Service)

Provincial fire regulations apply to all areas of B.C. not covered by municipal fire regulations, which are typically stricter than ones enforced by the Coastal Fire Centre.

“Anyone found in contravention of an open fire prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail,” the BC Wildfire Services stated.

Any illegal fires found to be the cause of a wildfire may result in the person responsible having to pay for the associated firefighting costs.

As of Wednesday, May 28, there were no wildfires burning anywhere in the Coastal Fire Centre.

Specific definitions for category two and three fires are below. The Coastal Fire Centre notes category two fires are still permitted in the Haida Gwaii Forest District.

“Category 2 open fire” which means an open fire, other than a category 1 campfire, that:

1. Burns material in one pile not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
2. Burns material concurrently in 2 piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width, or
3. Burns stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 ha.

“Category 3 open fire” which means an open fire that burns:

1. Material concurrently in 3 or more piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
2. Material in one or more piles each exceeding 2 m in height or 3 m in width,
3. One or more windrows, each not exceeding 200 m in length or 15 m in width,
4. Stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 ha.

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