A close call at Booty’s Cabin – likely caused by an unattended burning candle – has Friends of the Rossland Range reminding all users how important it is to follow their etiquette rules.
A Guide to the Use and Care of Rec Site Cabins: Friends of the Rossland Range
Director Rob Richardson contacted the Trail Times on Friday to report on a recent fire inside the volunteer-built cabin that, fortunately, was snuffed out before it could cause too much damage.
Four skiers were heading out on Christmas morning when they noticed flames within the structure, which is located near the Strawberry Pass Summit, 19 kilometres north of Rossland.
Richardson said the skiers saw the main table was ablaze and they acted quickly to extinguish the fire with snow.
The cabin was otherwise undamaged.
He speculated that the source was probably a candle left burning from the day previous, as no vehicles were parked in the lot that morning other than the car the four skiers came in.
“It’s just incredible the number of people who are using the cabins this year,” Richardson said, mentioning upwards of 80 vehicles are in the parking lot some days. “So we want to remind people to use LEDs (head lights and lanterns) and avoid using candles.”
The Rossland Range Recreation Site is a free public use area in the mountains and hills near the Alpine City. Strawberry Pass Summit and the primary parking area are located north of Rossland on Highway 3, or about 8 kilometres south of the intersection of Highways 3 and 3B.
The area has a network of winter routes and a chain of unique, winter, day-use shelters for all ages and families who would enjoy self-guided snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or backcountry ski touring. In summer, the range is popular for hiking, mountain biking, watching wildlife, walking a dog or riding horseback.
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