Coastal Fire Centre enacts fire ban starting Friday

 Starting on July 15 at noon, most open burning will be banned in the Coastal Fire Centre in order to reduce the risk of wildfires.

The ban applies to category two and three fires, and the prohibition will be in place until Oct. 28.

Category two fires include open fires, other than campfires 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. 
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• Category three fires include open fires 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, or
  • stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 ha.

  Fireworks, sky lanterns, binary exploding targets, burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description; and, air curtain burners are also banned.

  
  

  Campfires – which are fires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller – and cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes are not affected by these fire bans.

  “Anyone lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire area and have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire,” the Coastal Fire Centre says in a release.

  “Anyone found in contravention of an open fire prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $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 fire violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone.