Starting on Friday, April 15, backyard burning will be prohibited in the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s (SCRD) fire protection areas.
“On behalf of the four Fire Chiefs, we are asking that residents follow this direction,” Matt Treit, SCRD manager of protective services, said in a press release. “It can take a matter of minutes for a backyard burn to get out of control – these restrictions are in place for your safety and the safety of those in your community.”
These areas include Egmont, Halfmoon Bay, Roberts Creek, Elphinstone and West Howe Sound, where the SCRD’s four fire departments operate.
Outside of fire protection areas, backyard burning is also not allowed in any part of Halfmoon Bay or Roberts Creek. The Town of Gibsons does not allow backyard burning or beach fires at any time. Sechelt and Pender Harbour are covered by their own volunteer fire departments, separate from the SCRD’s jurisdiction. In Sechelt, open air burning is prohibited except for controlled campfires. Residents of Pender Harbour can contact their local fire department for outdoor burning regulations.
Any burning that is permitted must comply with local fire protection and smoke control bylaws. While campfires are currently allowed, they can be banned by local fire departments or the Coastal Fire Centre during high-risk times, and residents should be aware restrictions can be applied. Campfires can measure up to half a metre by half a metre in the SCRD, and a method of extinguishing must be on hand.
Green waste can be dropped off for free at three locations on the Sunshine Coast: the public works yard at 915 Henry Road in Gibsons, the Pender Harbour Transfer Station at 5545 Garden Bay Road, and Salish Soils at 5646 schetxwen Road in Sechelt.
