Stillwater residents are concerned about the fire hazard left behind after Island Timberlands logged a large property last year.
Kathleen Richards brought those concerns forward during the Powell River Regional District board meeting held on August 23 at Lang Bay Community Hall.
During question period, Richards said the slash had been piled on the side of roads less than 20 metres from homes in the area. “My question is, how do we protect our homes?” Richards asked. “All it takes is for someone to throw a [cigarette] butt out the window and we’re toast.”
The slash piles contain dried out cedar boughs, the perfect fuel to start a fire. Even though there was some rain over the weekend and cooler temperatures, the Coastal Fire Centre still has a high danger rating for the Powell River region.
There was a small blaze in the area a couple of months ago when a branch fell on a power line and caught fire, Richards said. “If that happens right now, with the little bit of wind we had today, we’re done. Someone needs to step up and take responsibility.”
Richards also said she’s worked in forestry all her life and she has worked on burning piles. “When they go, they’re crazy,” she said. “One cigarette, poof. One cigarette, one blow of wind, there’s five houses gone in minutes.”
Other residents at the meeting also talked about other impacts of the logging, including the lack of a sound barrier between them and the dry land sort and the number of trees that have fallen down since the logging. Island Timberlands, which owns the property where the logging took place, did not leave a buffer along the edges of the lot where residences are located.
In Richards’ yard alone, 16, two-foot diameter, 150-foot tall trees blew down during a storm. She said an Island Timberlands employee told her it “’sucks to be you.’ Is that what they’re going to say to me when my house burns down?”
Richards asked the regional district to step in to see if anything could be done.
Mac Fraser, regional district chief administrative officer, said part of the responsibility belongs to the ministry of forests, lands and natural resource operations. However, the area is also within the Malaspina Volunteer Fire Department’s fire district. He said he could research the issue and talk with the ministry. “A concern of fire spread is a concern in the fire protection district,” he said.
When contacted by the Peak, Wayne French, an Island Timberlands forester, said the company plans on hogging the slash. “It’s probably going to happen in September sometime,” he said. “The fire hazard will be mitigated through hogging and it will be delivered to Catalyst [Paper Corporation].”
Richards pointed out Island Timberlands said it was going to hog the slash when it finished logging last October. “We’re still waiting, now that the hottest, driest time of year is upon us,” she said. “It seems that residents’ concerns are less important than making more money.”
