Fire Prohibitions and Restrictions
Last updated on February 21, 2025
If you are planning a campfire, or open fire of any kind, this is where you will find information on any prohibitions or restrictions that may be in place.
On this page
Current prohibitions and restrictions
Even if there are no provincial open fire prohibitions in place, always check with local government authorities for any other open fire restrictions. Before lighting a fire, even if the burn category is not currently prohibited, ensure you are properly prepared, aware of the conditions and follow applicable open fire regulations.
Select your fire centre below for more details on current BC Wildfire Service open fire prohibitions, equipment/activity prohibitions and area restrictions in your region.
Not sure which fire centre you're in? Search your location and view which fire centre you're in on our interactive map.
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Permitted/Unrestricted
Prohibitions and restrictions apply to some areas (click through for more information)
Prohibition or restrictions in effect
Learn more about prohibitions and restrictions near you by visiting:
Many municipalities and local governments also post local prohibitions and restrictions specific to your community on their websites or social media pages.
If you are camping in a provincial park, remember to check the following before you go:
- The park’s webpage to familiarize yourself with their campfire policy and see if a campfire ban is in place
- BC Parks' Active advisories page to see if any provincial parks have been affected by wildfires or fire restrictions
- The full list of provincial alerts, closures and warnings, including resource (Forest Service) roads, recreation sites, trails and more
About prohibitions and restrictions
To limit the risk of wildfires and address public safety concerns, BC Wildfire Service may implement orders to prohibit or restrict certain activities in specific areas, including:
- Open fire prohibition orders, commonly referred to as "fire bans", prohibit the use of some or all categories of open fire (Wildfire Act, section 10)
- Equipment/activity prohibition orders prohibit the use of certain activities, equipment, materials or substances (Wildfire Act, section 12)
- Area restriction orders restrict access to areas where there are ongoing fire suppression activities (Wildfire Act, section 11)
- Leave area orders require all persons in a specified area to leave, where government is engaged in fire control (Wildfire Act, section 13)
Information about BC Wildfire Service prohibition and restriction orders are circulated in the media, sent to local and Indigenous governments and posted publicly on the BC Wildfire Service blog.
Where BC Wildfire Service orders apply
Each legal order specifies which fire centre or local fire zone the prohibition or restriction applies to. It is important to read the legal order (or corresponding information bulletin) to understand where that order applies.
BC Wildfire Service open fire prohibitions and equipment/activity prohibitions apply to public and private land within the area defined in the order, which is usually all areas outside of municipalities.
New in 2025: Open fire prohibitions and equipment/activity prohibitions now use more specific language to clearly indicate where they do and do not apply.
Area restrictions and leave area orders are typically used where BC Wildfire Service is conducting fire suppression operations.
BC Parks may also issue its own prohibitions and restrictions under the Park Act. Title land, federal reserve land and other areas managed by Indigenous governments may have additional requirements.
Within municipal boundaries
Typically, BC Wildfire Service open fire prohibition and equipment/activity prohibition orders will specify that they do not apply within municipal boundaries, with certain exceptions. For example, orders will usually state that, within municipal boundaries, they still apply to:
- Provincial parks, conservancies and recreation areas (Park Act)
- Recreation sites, recreation trails and interpretive forest sites (Forest and Range Practices Act)
- Wildlife management areas (Wildlife Act)
- Private managed forest land (Private Managed Forest Land Act)
Municipalities typically implement their own open fire prohibitions that may follow or vary from BC Wildfire Service prohibitions. The authority to prohibit open fire and other activities is an important part of many bylaws and allows local governments to be responsive to the conditions and unique risk factors within their specific location.
Outside municipal boundaries
BC Wildfire Service open fire prohibition and equipment/activity prohibition orders typically apply in Regional District and Improvement District areas outside of municipal boundaries. When a Regional District or Improvement District makes an order prohibiting open fire or other activities, it will usually apply in addition to the BC Wildfire Service prohibition.
Wildfire prevention in these areas is regulated through a combination of local bylaws and the Wildfire Act.
Why prohibit open fire
Open fire is the largest cause of human-caused fires provincially. Human-caused wildfires are entirely preventable and may divert crucial resources from naturally occurring and/or existing wildfires. Prohibitions are a useful tool used to reduce the likelihood of more human-caused fires in anticipation of increased lightning-caused fires or during critical fire situations.
British Columbia is a large and geographically diverse province. For that reason, each of B.C.’s six regional fire centres decide when and where to implement open fire prohibitions within their respective jurisdictions. The fire centre may consider:
- Level of fire activity in the fire centre
- Fire weather index (FWI)
- Long- and short-range weather forecasts
- Risk of human-caused fires
- Fuel types
- Fuel volatility
- Availability of firefighting resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I have a fire when a prohibition is in place?
Anyone found in contravention of a BC Wildfire Service prohibition or restriction may be fined up to $1,150. If your fire escapes and results in a wildfire, you may be fined anywhere from $100,000 to $1 million and be sentenced to one year in prison, or you may be ordered to pay government’s cost to suppress the fire and other damages.
Review the full list of wildfire-related violation fines in B.C.
It has been raining for several days in my region, why is there still a prohibition?
Current precipitation is only one of the factors that impact when prohibitions are lifted. Long-range weather forecasts are also considered, as well as the ongoing local and provincial wildfire situation. While the risk of wildfire in your area may have decreased, the provincial wildfire situation may be different and more active. As a result, personnel from across the province may be responding to fires outside of their regional and fire centre boundaries, limiting the amount of resources available in wetter areas.
In these situations, open fires also present an unacceptable risk and detract from detection and response capabilities by increasing the number of ‘false-alarm’ smoke chases, wildfire phone reports and nuisance fires.
Why are large, land clearing pile fires allowed when smaller fires are not?
Current procedures require all Category 3 open fires, including land clearing piles, to be registered. This makes it relatively easy to revoke or reinstate these burn registration numbers as local weather impacts fire danger. The BC Wildfire Service encourages the reduction of wildfire hazard from land clearing debris and has found the flexibility of the burn registration process useful to allow safe burning of large piles when weather is favourable.
What devices can I use when there is a campfire prohibition in place?
Some activities and devices are permitted when a campfire prohibition is in place and some are not. This varies depending on the prohibition itself; check details of the current prohibitions and restrictions on each fire centre's page.
Often, campfire prohibition orders still allow the use of CSA-rated or ULC-rated cooking stoves and portable campfire apparatus that use briquettes, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel, as long as the height of the flame is less than 15 cm tall. However, in extreme fire conditions these may also be prohibited.
Often, other activities are also prohibited when campfire prohibitions are in force, these include:
- Larger fires (category 2 and category 3 open fire)
- Burning barrels and burning cages
- Fireworks, sky lanterns
- Binary exploding targets
Do area restrictions apply to off-road vehicle use?
Area restrictions may apply to off-road vehicle use. Off-road vehicle operators must also ensure they follow safety requirements to avoid starting a wildfire. 
The BC Wildfire Service may consider implementing area closures or area restrictions for lakes or backcountry areas in order to respond to fires safely and effectively. 
Learn more about B.C.'s Off-Road Vehicle Management Framework which promotes the safe and responsible use of ORVs on Crown land and prescribed private lands.
Can I get an exemption from a prohibition or restriction?
In certain circumstances, a government official may consider exemptions to the prohibition and restriction orders made under the Wildfire Act.
Applicants are responsible for determining whether BC Wildfire Service and/or local government prohibitions and restrictions apply and may need to ask for an exemption from BC Wildfire Service, from their local government, or (in rare cases) from both.
Contact your local fire centre for more information