A huge THANK YOU to all of you who took the time to shorten the grass/weeds on the roadside edges of your properties to reduce the fire risk and increase the safety for walkers. A special thank you to those residents who also mowed or whacked their neighbours’ verges and near the school. Metal blade mowers or gas powered equipment are now restricted. Electric or battery powered string weedwhackers and battery powered chainsaws used where there is no danger of striking the soil or rocks are still allowed at this time.
Please report all local smoke sightings to 911.
A new fire has ignited near Cameron Lake on the road to Port Alberni and Thetis may receive smoke from that large fire.
I am attending the BC Fire Chiefs’ Educational Summit in Penticton this week (and can see the 5 aircraft actioning the fire near Peachland) and attending the BC Wildfire updates. The long term forecast for July is a return to more seasonable temperatures and precipitation patterns, but the confidence is low for the southern Vancouver Island region. This is the earliest we have ever been in EXTREME Danger Class. We all hope it will be short lived and we can soon get back to being able to work in the woods.
Fire Chief J. Caldbeck
