Smoking and the use of wood-burning or charcoal barbecues in parks and on beaches in Vancouver will be banned starting tomorrow (July 31).

Citing warm and dry conditions in the city, the park board has decided to raise the fire hazard rating to “extreme”, triggering the temporary restrictions.

But park visitors can still use propane barbecues that are off the ground by more than 76 centimetres and have not been placed on a wood or grass surface, the board says.

Patrols will also be stepped up in forested areas including Stanley Park, Everett Crowley Park, and Jericho Park, says the board.

In April, board commissioners voted to introduce a separate, permanent ban on smoking in Vancouver parks that goes into effect on September 1.