BC Wildfire Service Schedules Open Fire Prohibition
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Effective at noon Pacific Daylight Time on Thursday, May 18, 2023, most open burning activities will be prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, including the Village of Cumberland.
This prohibition is being enacted to help reduce wildfire risk and protect public safety.
Category 2 and Category 3 open fires will be prohibited in the Village and throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, with the exception of Haida Gwaii. A map of the affected area is available here.
Specifically, this prohibition refers to the following activities:
“Category 2 open fire” which means an open fire, other than a category 1 campfire, that:
- burns material in one pile not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
- burns material concurrently in 2 piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width, or
- burns stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 ha.
“Category 3 open fire” which means an open fire that burns:
- material concurrently in 3 or more piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
- material in one or more piles each exceeding 2 m in height or 3 m in width,
- one or more windrows, each not exceeding 200 m in length or 15 m in width,
- stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 ha.
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.
This prohibition will be in place until October 31, 2023, or until the order is rescinded.
More information on the Category 2 and Category 3 burn prohibition can be found here.
Small recreational fires less than 1.5 ft in diameter are currently permitted in the Village of Cumberland and the Rural Cumberland Fire Protection District at this time.
You must have a permit for a recreational fire, which must
- Be no larger than 0.5m (1.5 ft) in diameter
- Be contained within a CSA approved fire appliance or a fire ring fitted with a screen of 9.5 mm (3/8 inch) or smaller mesh to restrict any sparks or flying debris
- Be located at least 1.5m from any vegetation or combustible material
- Be located at least 3m from any building, structure or fuel supply tank
- Utilize a 3/8″ mesh screen to control sparks.
While the BC Forest Service may implement campfire bans in rural and wilderness areas, our proximity to an active and responsive fire department allows the Village to continue to allow small campfires longer into the spring and summer season.
Continue to watch Cumberland News and Alerts for updates on fire prohibitions and bans. Find out more about outdoor burning.
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