Your fire department responded to a brush fire Thursday morning. A burn pile “got away” from the property owner very quickly and he had the presence of mind to call 911 early rather than waiting to see if he could handle it alone with his garden hose.
This should be a wake-up call to all of us on Thetis. We have heard about the grass fires and bush fires across on Vancouver Island these past few weeks but think it won’t happen here because “I’m always safe” and “I have been doing this for years with no problems”. But we are dryer earlier, there is more fuel load in the forest, and there are more people wanting to clear up storm debris by burning.
Please follow the safety regulations for outdoor burning: size less than 3 metres across and 2 metres high; must have a fuel break a.k.a. Fire break, down to mineral soil around your burn pile; have an adequate water supply and tools at the site; attend the fire at all times; extinguish thoroughly before leaving the area. Only burn when the Venting Index is “Good”. We hope that this will be the only scare this fire season, but you must realize that this year is not like other years and the risk for a dangerous “get-away” is great. If you can’t chip or bury your yard waste, please use extreme caution when burning in the woods. We must depend upon each other to keep the fire risk as low as possible.
TIVFD
