Anyone found illegally starting a campfire faces fines and possible jail time.
A campfire ban on Vancouver Island will start Thursday at noon, as the fire danger rating escalates amid hot and dry conditions, says the B.C. Wildfire Service.
The Island is part of the Coastal Fire Centre, which also includes Haida Gwaii, the Lower Mainland and the central coast. The ban is for Category 1 fires, which include campfires and all fires smaller than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide.
Anyone found illegally starting a campfire can face fines of up to $1,150 and an administrative penalty of $10,000. If convicted in court, people could face a fine of up to $100,000 and/or be sentenced to up to one year in jail.
Those penalties jump if the fire causes or contributes to a wildfire, with fines of up to $1 million and up to three years in jail. You could also be responsible for all firefighting and associated costs.
There werefive wildfires burning on Vancouver Islandas of noon Tuesday. The newest, in Sea to Sea Regional Park north of Sooke, was discovered on Monday. It was considered out of control.