14

Jul
2015

Outdoor Burning Bans Across Metro Vancouver

July 14th, 2015 | by admin admin | in Safety Advice |    43   

PHOTO: Renato Muccillo

An eerie red sun glowered; the North Shore mountains disappeared. The smoky haze blanketing Metro Vancouver last week brought home the dangers of wildfires across B.C. Although air quality has since improved, tinder dry conditions remain. Since April 1, more than 1,000 wildfires have burned more than 283,000 hectares of land across the province. [B.C. Wildfire Service, Current Statistics]

As the B.C. Wildfire Service points out, about 40 per cent of all wildfires are caused by people. People like the arsonist who recently set 10 brush fires in the Hastings Creek, Lynn Valley area of North Vancouver. Many of those fires were directly behind residents’ backyards. More often, discarded cigarettes, campfires and backyard burns spark larger blazes.

Since many areas of the province remain under a high or extreme fire hazard, check for local and provincial fire restrictions before you go camping or fire up your barbeque at a park.

On July 7, the B.C. Wildfire Service issued a complete campfire ban in the Coastal Fire Centre, spanning from Manning Park to Vancouver Island and the US Border to Haida Gwaii. This ban extends an earlier ban on open campfires and fireworks throughout B.C.

Vancouver Open Air Fire regulations require a permit for all open air fires in public parks other than for cooking food in a barbeque, using approved fuels. No barbeques are allowed on sandy beaches. Afterward, douse coals with cold water and remove. Under extreme fire warnings, as now, use only propane and not charcoal.

At home, on private property, you may light “tiki” torches, gas-burning patio heaters, and other decorative open air fires with the appropriate gas and fire permits. No permit is required for natural-gas-fuelled barbeques, propane camp stoves and charcoal hibachi barbeques for cooking food.

Other municipalities have similar regulations and burning bans in effect:

-West Vancouver (fire risk and water shortages)

-District of North Vancouver (propane and charcoal barbeque, smoking ban)

-City of North Vancouver (fire risk and water shortages)

-Surrey (burning ban, all permits suspended)

-Delta (park closures, open fire ban)

-Richmond (includes safety tips)

-Burnaby (charcoal barbeque, smoking ban)

-New Westminster

-Coquitlam

-Port Coquitlam

-Port Moody (charcoal barbeque, smoking ban)

-City of Langley

-Township of Langley (outdoor cooking)

See also B.C. Air Quality’s Regulations and Bylaws on Outdoor Burning.

Note: This blog discusses general safety and security topics. It is not intended to provide comprehensive advice or guidance. In all matters of personal safety and security, we encourage readers to research topics in depth and consult a security professional about specific concerns.

Radius Security Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Surrey, Langley, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Ladner, Delta, Tsawwassen

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