Current Burn Status
Effective at noon (PDT) on Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Campfires are permitted in the Shawnigan Improvement District. A campfire is defined as 18″x18″ (0.5 meter by 0.5 meter). At no time can a campfire be left unattended.
Other activities which will now be permitted in the Coastal Fire Centre include:
- The use of tiki and similar kinds of torches;
- The use of chimineas; and
- The use of outdoor stoves or other portable campfire apparatus without a Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Underwriter Laboratories of Canada (ULC) rating
While campfire will be permitted, Category 2 and Category 3 open fires remain prohibited, including the use of fireworks, sky lanterns, burn barrels and burn cages.
These restrictions will remain in place until further notice. The graphic below explains the different categories of open burning and applicable regulations.
Enforcement
Enforcement of fire prohibitions is undertaken by:
- The Compliance and Enforcement Branch of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development;
- The Conservation Officer Service; and
- The RCMP
All illegal fires will be investigated, and charges may be laid under the Wildfire Act or Wildfire Regulation, depending on the outcome of the investigation.
Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.
