BC Wildfire officers have extinguished a small wildfire two kilometres down Stirling Arm Road in a known party spot west of Port Alberni.
The fire was called in at midnight on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016.
“We sent some officers out first thing in the morning and they had it extinguished by noon (Saturday),” Coastal Fire Centre fire information officer Donna MacPherson said.
The fire was approximately five metres by 15 metres in size. “It’s in a known party spot. Something was lit out there and (three officers) had to go and put it out.”
The fire was marked on the BC Active Wildfires map as 0.009 hectares in size because that’s the smallest number they have on the map, MacPherson explained.
The Port Alberni Thunderbirds ground firefighting crew meanwhile has been tasked to help with a wildfire in Goldstream Heights near the Malahat that was reported just after lunch on Friday, Aug. 5. That fire was approximately one hectare in size.
“We sent air tankers initially to put retardant around the fire,” MacPherson said. All together, 23 people worked on that fire including the Thunderbirds, an initial attack crew and the Malahat Fire Department.
“No structures were ever threatened by that one,” MacPherson said. “It was human caused.”
Fire investigators were heading to Goldstream Heights on Sunday to determine exactly how it was started, she added.
There is still a Category 2 open burning prohibition in place in the Coastal Fire Centre.
Small campfires are currently permitted, so long as they’re no larger than a half-metre high by a half-metre wide and built on mineral soil (e.g. dirt or rock that’s been cleared of flammable materials). Cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes are also permitted.
Never leave a campfire unattended. Make sure that it’s fully extinguished and the ashes are
cold to the touch before leaving the area for any length of time. People can refer to the Wildfire
Act and Wildfire Regulation (http://www.bclaws.ca/) to better understand their legal
obligations.
Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket
for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined
up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes
to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free
or *5555 on a cellphone.
For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air
quality advisories, go to: http://www.bcwildfire.ca
You can also follow the latest wildfire news on:
• Twitter at: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
• Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo
Edited: Changed to Stirling Arm Road.