Campfire bans take effect this week in Vernon and Kamloops Fire Centre

Jul 9, 2024 | 11:43 AM

A campfire ban will take effect in the City of Vernon at 12 p.m. (noon) on Wednesday, July 10, a few days before those fires are prohibited in the entire Kamloops Fire Centre.

“The recent hot and dry conditions in the region are expected to continue and the fire danger rating within the City of Vernon is high,” a city news release on Tuesday stated.

The ban is being issued in coordination with the BC Wildfire Service campfire ban (Category 1 fires), which takes effect Friday, July 12. The ban is intended to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

The ban will remain in place until October 11, 2024, or until the public is otherwise notified.

Campfires will be prohibited in the City of Enderby and the Shuswap River Fire Protection District at noon Friday, along with open burning (all), fireworks, sky lanterns, binary exploding targets, burn barrels/burn cages, air curtain burners, chimineas, and tiki and similar kinds of torches

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The campfire ban 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 centimeters.

Non-compliance with the fire ban can result in fines up to $1,000 through the City of Vernon municipal bylaws. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

The BCWS ban also covers the following items:

Fireworks;
Sky lanterns;
Binary exploding targets;
Air curtain burners;
Burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description;
Chimineas;
Tiki and similar kind of torches.

To report a fire in city limits, call 911. To report a wildfire, call the BC Wildfire Service at 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.

by Pete McIntyre

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