Current Burn Status
Effective at noon (PDT) on Wednesday, October 2, 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.
Burning of yard and garden refuse is permitted in the Shawnigan Improvement District. This includes burn barrels and piles no greater than one meter in size and must be three meters away from combustible material and six meters from any building. Please be mindful of your neighbours. Burn barrels must have a mesh screen.
No permit is required. The refuse is to be clean and dry, and in a condition that provides for safe and proper combustion. BURNING OF CONSTRUCTION WASTE, STUMPS, DEMOLITION MATERIAL, AND RUBBER OR PLASTIC IS NOT PERMITTED.
Clearance Requirements:
• Location of Open Air Burning Refuse pile: 3 m (10 ft) from any combustible material and 6 m (20 ft) from any building.
• Location of Domestic Incinerators: 2m (6 ft) from any combustible material and 7.5 m (25 ft) from any building.
Check the venting index before lighting your fire:
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.
