The Sechelt Fire Department wants to thank the public for its quick response in reporting a wildfire Friday night, which could have easily gotten out of control.
Sechelt Fire Department chief Dwight Davison says several people who saw the fire dialed 911 to report it at about 9:45 p.m., July 26.
“We initially responded with our single-engine [truck] from our nighttime duty crew,” says Davison. “When they arrived, they had a fire approximately 100-feet by 50-feet burning in and among the dry broom and grasses on the corner of Xenechin Avenue and Highway 101.”
He adds 12 firefighters from Sechelt attended the fire accompanied by three apparatus. A representative from BC Wildfire also attended as a support person, in case any of their resources were needed.
Davison says the concern was sparks and embers could float across the street to the other side of Xenechin, where there's a large amount of broom and dry grass backing onto commercial buildings and properties.
“But the crew got it knocked down and extinguished within five minutes of arrival and had it fully overhauled,” he says. “We were out there for about an hour and they did a really good job of soaking the area right down to ensure the ground was saturated with water.”
Davison says the fire is being investigated, but from witness reports it appears to be human-caused.
“We did get a couple of visual reports from people in the area and they believe there were some people going through that area not long before the fire happened,” says Davison. “So, our investigation leads us to believe that it was human caused. There wasn't enough evidence to see anything, but it was human caused. So, just a good reminder for people that it's so dry out there, they should take all precautions with their activities in and around dry bush areas.”
Davison also wants to remind smokers to be extra vigilant when putting their cigarettes out to ensure they’re fully extinguished and then placed in a metal container filled with sand and water. He adds, despite the light rain and cooler temperatures experienced this week, he has no intention of lifting the fire ban.
“The prediction over next week is we're going to get back into the mid-to-high 20s with a lot of sun, so we're going to keep it on. That way we're not confusing people by taking it off and putting it back on,” says Davison. “We'll likely keep it on through the remainder of summer.”
He notes this cooler weather and rain will hopefully lessen the fire risk, but with temperatures expected to start climbing again, everyone should remain vigilant.
