Effective May 30, at noon, most open burning is banned throughout the Coastal Fire Centre, which includes the Regional District of Nanaimo.
The ban applies to almost all open fires, fireworks, sky lanterns, tiki torches, burn barrels and cages, binary exploding targets and chimineas (outdoor stoves that use wood as a fuel source). These bans apply to all public and private land and are in place until Oct. 31, or until the order is rescinded by BC Wildfire Service to help reduce human-caused wildfires and for public safety.
This ban does not apply to Category 1 (campfires) that are half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, or to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes. 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.
To help residents access fire services-related information, the RDN has a Fire Protection and Open Burning Regulations interactive map. The online tool shows residents which fire department provides fire protection services in their area and also provides useful links to burning bylaws, venting index information and the Province’s website for the most up-to-date information on fire bans and restrictions.
To access the fire services map as well as other interactive RDN maps for zoning, parks and trails, utilities, active permits and more, visit rdn.bc.ca/gis-mapping.
For information on wildfires in B.C., residents can check the BC Wildfire Map or follow BC Wildfire Service on Facebook and X. For updates on fire weather and smoke across Canada, visit firesmoke.ca. To report a wildfire, call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on a mobile phone. For more information on FireSmart in the RDN, email firesmart@rdn.bc.ca.
