The Sechelt fire department wants to help Coasters safely dispose of their Christmas trees this weekend, and raise a little money for a fire hall expansion.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 8, firefighters will have a tree chipper on site to dispose of old Christmas trees brought in by the public.
"We're hoping people see fit to give a small donation towards that service so we can put the money towards a small addition to house our old antique fire engine," said fire chief Bill Higgs.
The antique fire engine was bought by the department in the early 1960s when members put up their houses as collateral to purchase the $13,000 truck. That truck served the community well for more than 30 years, but with a growing community and the need to keep up with advances in fire-fighting, the department bought a new ladder truck, leaving no space to house the antique engine.
Currently it is stored off site, but the local fire department wants to build an addition to house the truck and provide some much needed square footage to the department for training of volunteer members.
The addition would see a second floor erected to provide training space. The effort is expected to cost around $100,000.
So far the fire department has raised about $11,000 from the sale of their 2011 calendars, and there will be a few more available for purchase on Saturday.
Higgs encourages people with Christmas trees drying out in their homes to dispose of those trees to avoid the possibility of fire. A dry tree can be fully engulfed in flames in a matter of seconds, and once a tree is on fire, it does not take long for the rest of the home to burn, he said.
"It's really about fire safety. We want to encourage people to get these trees out of their houses and get them dealt with because they can burn so fast. Chipping them is also a green initiative because they will be made into compost afterwards. So it's a win, win, win situation," Higgs added.
