Campfire ban in effect throughout the District of Squamish effective Wednesday, July 18 at noon

High risk activity restrictions are now in place within wildland interface

The District of Squamish will place a ban on all campfires as of Wednesday, July 18 at noon. All open fires including campfires within the District of Squamish will be prohibited and all campfire permits within the District of Squamish will be suspended until the provincial fire ban is rescinded. The high to extreme fire danger rating has prompted the ban, with no rain in the foreseeable future. 

This ban follows the lead from the BC Wildfire Service Coastal Fire Centre whose campfire prohibition, also beginning at noon on July 18, covers all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands outside of areas covered by local fire prevention bylaw. The Coastal Fire Centre prohibition will remain in effect until otherwise notified. 

“We’ve all seen the devastating destruction of communities such as Slave Lake and Fort McMurray from human-caused wildfire, so I urge everyone to take responsibility by taking extra precautions in our back yards, while camping and out on the trails during these dry, hot days,” says District of Squamish Mayor Patricia Heintzman. “If you see a fire, call 911. The faster we act, the greater impact we can have on how quickly our emergency response teams can take control of the situation.”

The following uses will not be allowed:

• Campfires, as defined by the wildfire regulation (burning of woody debris less than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide);
• Tiki torches;
• The use of fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns, burning barrels or burning cages of any size or description;
• The use of binary exploding targets (e.g. for rifle target practice).

This prohibition does not apply to CSA-rated or ULC-rated cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to a portable campfire apparatus that uses briquettes, liquid or gaseous fuel, so long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres.

“The current dry conditions create a tinderbox scenario for a carelessly tossed cigarette, sparks from a chainsaw, or a hot exhaust pipe coming into contact with grass, and so extra vigilance is required,” says Squamish Deputy Fire Chief Aaron Foote. “Please be extra careful and on the lookout for spot fires, and call 911 immediately.”

Construction within the Interface 

The District of Squamish is currently at day four of a high fire danger rating and high-risk activity restrictions are in place within the wildland interface (within 10 metres).  All high-risk activities within the interface zones shall conclude at 1 p.m., with a two-hour fire watch in place to patrol the work areas. If Squamish reaches an extreme fire danger rating, all high-risk activities will need to cease entirely, unless a High Risk Activity Exemption has been approved by the District of Squamish Fire Rescue. Construction project managers should contact Squamish Fire Rescue at SFR@squamish.ca to discuss their projects and appropriate fire safety measures.

The public should call 911 immediately if they spot grass or bush fires, or if there appears to be an abandoned campfire.

Please contact Squamish Fire Rescue at 604.898.9666 for further information. Call 911 to report fire. For the latest information on current wildfire activity throughout the province, visit the BC Wildfire Service website.

July 17, 2018