Effective at noon on Thursday, July 26, 2018, campfires are prohibited within the City of Vernon.
The recent hot and dry conditions in the region are expected to continue and fire danger ratings within the City of Vernon are now “moderate” to “high”. The ban is issued to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.
This campfire ban will remain in place until the public is otherwise notified.
The following activities are prohibited within the CoV and apply to all public and private lands:
- Campfires
- Discarding burning substances near combustible material
- Open air burning
- Fireworks
- Sky lanterns
- Tiki torches and similar kinds of torches
- Chimineas, outdoor stoves and other portable campfire apparatuses that are not CSA approved or ULC-approved.
These prohibitions do 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 centimetres.
Non-compliance with the fire ban may result in fines up to $1,000.00 through the City of Vernon municipal bylaw. Sanctions through the Provincial government may result in tickets for $1,150; an administrative penalty of $10,000; or, if convicted in court, fines 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.
For up to date information regarding the fire bans and restrictions visit: https://www.vernon.ca/homes-building/fire-safety.
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