Despite fire restrictions being in place, two seperate open burning violations were reported last week to the Cherry Creek Volunteer Fire Department.
Two violation tickets at $1,150 each were given out last week in the Cherry Creek area for two separate incidents of illegal burning, according to Cherry Creek Volunteer Fire Department Chief Lucas Banton.
According to the Coastal Fire Centre, the tickets were issued under 10.3 of the Wildfire Act which is a restriction on lighting, fueling or use of an open fire while a prohibition is in place.
The tickets were issued by compliance enforcement officers with the Coastal Fire Centre.
“We were dispatched to the properties and I had my duty officer document, take pictures and they made the call to pass the information on (to the Coastal Fire Centre) and recommend a fine,” Banton said.
Banton said the calls to the fire department were generated by people who suspected or knew fire violations were occurring in the area.
“We tell the resident to put [the fire] out and if they don’t, we’ll put it out,” Banton said.
Banton said he suspects people are in denial of how serious a fire getting away in a rural are is and the damage it can cause.
“Hundreds of homes can be lost because the wind picked up, or just a freak accident,” he said. “I think people believe that they have more control than they do and when it gets away, it can roar through the forest in the right circumstances faster than anybody can handle putting it out.”
A misconception, Banton said, is that after a day of rain people sometimes think it’s okay to have a fire.
“You need rain for an extended period of time with really good volume to soak into the soil and actually start to create that humidity level and replenishment of water in the ground and the trees,” he said. “It takes a substantial amount of time (for a ban to be lifted) after it’s been super dry.”
Banton said people should always check for restrictions on the government’s website (http://www2.gov.bc.ca) prior to having any type of fire.
According to the Coastal Fire Centre, 24 fire violation tickets have been given out in the region this summer.
