Although Category 1 campfires will once again be permitted beginning Friday, May 15 at noon, residents are strongly encouraged to use caution when having a campfire. Fires should only be lit in a properly contained fire pit and must be completely extinguished when no longer in use — dead out and cold to the touch.
Effective Friday, May 15, 2026, at 12 p.m. (noon), the BC Wildfire Service will rescind the Category 1 campfire prohibition across the Coastal Fire Centre. However, Category 2 and Category 3 open burning prohibitions will remain in effect.
The initial campfire ban was introduced due to several elevated wildfire risk factors, including prolonged hot and dry weather, increasing fire danger ratings, a rise in human-caused wildfires, and early season operational pressures.
Recent weather changes have improved conditions across the region, with cooler temperatures, higher humidity levels, and reduced wildfire danger allowing Category 1 campfires to resume.
Anyone choosing to light a campfire must follow all safety requirements under Section 20 of the Wildfire Regulation, including:
Avoid burning during windy conditions
Maintain a fuel break around the fire
Never leave a fire unattended
Fully extinguish the fire before leaving
Immediately control or report any fire that spreads beyond the fire break
Despite the easing of campfire restrictions, Category 2 and Category 3 open fires remain prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre, along with:
Fireworks
Binary exploding targets
Burn barrels and burn cages
Controlled air incinerators
Air curtain burners
Carbonizers
The prohibition applies to all areas outside municipal boundaries, as well as certain lands within municipalities including parks, recreation sites, ecological reserves, wildlife management areas, and private managed forest lands.
Municipalities may impose additional local restrictions, so residents are advised to check with their local government before burning.
For more information on current fire prohibitions and restrictions, visit:
BC Wildfire Service – Safer Burning Information
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire, or illegal open burning, call:
1-800-663-5555 (toll-free)
*5555 from a cell phone
or report through the BC Wildfire Service mobile app.
