Wildfire dangers on the south coast range from moderate to high, but one northern gulf island has taken the lead and instituted a total fire ban.
Effective Thursday, July 28, Savary Island Volunteer Fire (SIVFD) Department banned all fires leading up to one of the island’s busiest weekends.
“It’s pretty dry here,” said Gareth Jones, the department’s fire chief. “We have to be more careful just because of the nature of the island.”
Coastal Fire Centre public information officer Marg Drysdale said the centre supports any local government moving forward to manage its own open fire restrictions.
“We strongly support local governments putting in local bylaws,” said Drysdale. “We have to paint everything with a fairly broad brush.”
Drysdale said that throughout the coastal fire centre’s area conditions range from moderate to high fire danger. She said that when possible it is best for local governments to make the decision on regional issues and conditions.
“If they are concerned with the conditions, it is best for them to make that decision,” she said.
Jones said a lot of people “like to be wild” when they come to island, particularly during BC Day long weekend, and the fire department has to make sure people are aware of the dangers.
The old airstrip and the bank near South Beach have both been identified as areas with extreme fire risk, he said.
Jones said the airstrip is a place people like to go for parties and have campfires.
“We’re just lucky we haven’t had anything happen,” said Jones.
Jones identified a number of factors that make fires particularly dangerous for island, including the proximity of houses to each other and their distance to wooded areas. Despite having strategically placed water tanks throughout the island to provide the department with water in case of fire, Jones said overall water supply still remains a key challenge.
During the summer visitors like to camp on South Beach and light fires near the bank loaded with ample fuel for a potential wildfire, he said.
“If a fire starts at the bottom and there’s a wind,” said Jones, “it’ll come right up that bank; then we’re in trouble.”
