A reminder to Vernon residents that a campfire ban remains in place within the City of Vernon.
Earlier this week, BC Wildfire Service announced it will be lifting a campfire ban within several regions across the province, including the Kamloops Fire Centre. However, all fires will remain prohibited within the City of Vernon until the public is otherwise notified.
“The fire danger rating within the City of Vernon remains high,” said Fire Chief David Lind. “For this reason, the campfire ban will remain in place in Vernon until conditions improve, to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.”
Therefore, the following activities are prohibited within the City of Vernon 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
- Burn barrels or burn cages
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 centimeters.
Non-compliance with the fire ban may result in fines up to $1,000.00 through 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.
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