Forest Fires

Forest Fires

Forest fires are a very real danger in British Columbia. If you spot a fire while travelling through the province, call and report it with the British Columbia Forest Service at 1-800-663-5555. This is a free province-wide emergency number.
Campfires are a major cause of forest fires. Please do your part and make sure that your fire is supervised and properly extinguished. For more information, read our Campfire Safety tips below.

Campfire Safety

Campfire regulations are seasonal and vary from region to region. During the summer months forest fires are a very real danger and bans are put in place in the dryest areas. For detailed regional information about fire regulations, contact the BC Forest Service Fire Information Line at 1-888-336-7378. Always check with local Tourist Info Centres, as local regulations always supersede those of the Ministry of Forests and Range.

Please limit your use of campfires to cooking and warmth. They not only create a danger of forest fires, but the smoke from campfires pollutes the environment. When gathering fuel use only fallen wood and never live timber. Often, cut wood can be purchased from campgrounds.

Don't burn garbage in your campfire. The smell is unpleasant for you and your neighbours, and may even attract bears into your camp. Unburned waste left in a fire pit is an unappealing discovery for whoever uses the site after you.
Never leave a fire unattended and always make sure that it is fully extinguished. Even days after having burned down, embers can stay hot and pose a hidden danger. Pull apart the logs and pour water over the coals. Even if this means repeated trips down to the river, make sure that nothing is left smoking, glowing or hot. These simple rules will help keep British Columbia's forests for all to enjoy.