It is illegal to transport firewood with bark attached within and out of the entire province of British Columbia to slow the spread of hemlock woolly adelgid. In many cases it is also illegal to bring out-of-province firewood into British Columbia to prevent the spread invasive bugs and diseases such as the spongy moth, Dutch elm disease, and emerald ash borer. These and other regulated forest pests can infest new areas when people move firewood. As a result, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) prohibits the transport of firewood out of a regulated area without a permit. The CFIA urges residents and visitors buy and burn local firewood with the following recommendations to prevent the spread of invasive pests:
- Buy local and certified heat-treated firewood (ideally within 80km)
- Do not bring outside firewood into Canada’s national parks
- Do not remove firewood out of any campground
- Tell others about the dangers of moving firewood long distances
British Columbia Parks require campers to use supplied firewood in designated areas only. Note: Open fires are not allowed at most of British Columbia’s national parks and provincial park campgrounds, and they may put fire restrictions when wildfire risk is high. Visit their website or inquire the campground staff for the most current information.
UPDATE: Emerald ash borer has been confirmed in Vancouver. Firewood should not be removed from this area. Learn more about this pest here.
Bringing firewood from Canada into the USA is prohibited unless the firewood is labeled and certified heat-treated. Read about these requirements on the USDA and CBP firewood information sheet.
Bringing firewood from the USA into Canada is prohibited unless the firewood is labeled and certified heat-treated. Canada also encourages visitors to use local firewood.
Contact your local CFIA office for specific questions about firewood movement.
This summary is accurate to the best of DMF staff abilities as of 15 August 2024.
British Columbia Web Resources
- Buy Local Burn Local, Invasive Species Council of British Columbia
- Responsible Recreation, BC Parks
- Firewood Poster, BC Parks
- Firewood colouring sheet handout, BC Parks
- Firewood Permits, Government of British Columbia
- PlayCleanGo, Invasive Species Council of British Columbia
- Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society (CSISS)
- Emerald ash borer, Areas Regulated in Canada
- Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Info. and Regulations, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
General Canada Web Resources
- Hazards of Moving Firewood, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
- Canadian Council on Invasive Species, Buy Local Burn Local
- US Customs and Border Protection (regarding personal firewood from Canada into the USA)
- Canada Border Services Agency (regarding personal firewood from the USA into Canada)
- Asian Longhorned Beetle Information Page
- Brown Spruce Longhorned Beetle Information Page
- Emerald Ash Borer Information Page
- Emerald Ash Borer Alert Flyer
- Spongy Moth Information and Canadian Quarantine
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