Vancouver fire sees sharp decrease in structure fires since butane lighter ban

A ban implemented by the City of Vancouver on butane lighters one year ago has worked to reduce SRO blazes, according to fire services.

Vancouver Fire Rescue Services said it has seen an 80 per cent monthly decrease in related structure fires since the City of Vancouver introduced a ban on continuous flame butane lighters.

Capt. Matthew Trudeau, a public information office with VFRS, said while there are still some fires attributable to the lighters, there has been a notable shift over the past six months.

“We’re hoping that this will make a measurable change,” he said.

0.5 per month

In May, city council approved a bylaw banning retailers from selling lockable butane lighters. Violators are subject to a $1,000 fine.

Data from VFRS shows from January to June 2024, there were 2.5 structure fires per month from lockable lighters.

Once the ban was introduced – from July 2024 to February 2025 – that number declined to 0.5 per month.

Last year, VFRS, along with city staff, provided a report to city council, linking the lighters to an increase in fires, causing injuries, death and structural damage, particularly at SROs in the Downtown Eastside.

Read more: Vancouver bans sale of some butane lighters

At the time, Fire Chief Karen Fry said one of the reasons for the increase was the change in how people use drugs, with more people smoking than injecting.

‘Real world applications’

Lorna Bird, a member of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, said she supported the initial ban and was happy to hear it was making a difference.

“I think there should be more public education on it,” she said.

Trudeau said the department has increased its public engagement work and its fire prevention methods in SRO buildings.

“We’re trying to mitigate as much risk that we can, but also trying to understand the real world applications of this and how it will affect end users,” he said.

No fines to date

In a statement to CTV News, the City of Vancouver said, “the goal of the ban is to minimize in-person retail sale of these lighters, which are predominantly sold in the Downtown core, including the Downtown Eastside.”

The statement continued, “butane lighters that require the ongoing intervention of the user to produce a continuous flame, such as those requiring the user to hold down on a trigger, are not being regulated and are still legal for sale and purchase in the city.”

The city has not fined anyone for selling these lighters.