Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue announced today that most open burning activities will be prohibited on Salt Spring Island and throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction as of noon on Thursday, May 18.
The prohibition is being enacted to help reduce wildfire risk and protect public safety..
Category 2 and Category 3 open fires will be prohibited on Salt Spring Island and throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction. This prohibition will be in place until Oct. 31, 2023, or until the order is rescinded.
Specifically, this prohibition refers to the following activities:
“Category 2 open fire” (backyard and incinerator burning)
“Category 3 open fire” (machine pile)
Also prohibited are the activities listed below (Wildfire Act, Section 12):
- Fireworks;
- Sky Lanterns;
- Binary Exploding Targets;
- Burn Barrels or Burn Cages of any size or description; and,
- Air Curtain Burners.
Currently, the prohibition does not apply to Category 1 – Campfires that are half-metre high by half-metre wide or smaller, or to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes.
Anyone lighting a campfire must apply for a fire permit and maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire area and have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire.
For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to http://www.bcwildfire.ca or https://saltspringfire.com/burn-restrictions/