Update May 17, 2023, 9:02am – The Coastal Fire Centre has announced an OPEN FIRE PROHIBITION on category 2 and 3 open fires effective NOON on Thursday, May 18, 2023.
“Category 2 open fire” 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” 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 does not apply to Category 1 – Campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, or to cooking stoves that use gas, propane, or briquettes.
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 – The Fire Danger Rating is now MODERATE for the District of Sooke. Forest fuels are drying and there is an increased risk of surface fires. As warm and dry conditions continue, perform all forest activities with caution.