A little more than a week after an extensive brush fire in the same area, the Campbell River Fire Department was called to extinguish a camp fire that had been left unattended along Argonaut Road.
Just before 3 p.m. June 3, the fire department received a call about an unattended camp fire about 500 metres from hydro lines that was reported to be spreading.
“The fire was next to a remote bike trail, and crews had to hike quite a distance to reach it,” says fire chief Thomas Doherty. “We had the advantage of BC Hydro being in the area with the access gate open, which helped crews get there as quickly as possible.”
By the time crews arrived, the fire was approximately one metre by two metres. After extinguishing the fire, crews remained on the scene to monitor the area and ensure the fire would not rekindle with dry conditions.
“Especially in these hot, dry and sometimes windy conditions, we are again reminding everyone of the danger of leaving any open flame unattended. To prevent fires from spreading, it’s extremely important that people properly prepare and fully extinguish recreational fires,” Doherty says. “Key steps include building an appropriate fire ring to contain a camp fire, and making sure they’re fully extinguished before you leave.”
At this time, recreational fires are still permitted, but the fire department is closely monitoring conditions. Fire bans could be put in place if the weather continues to be hot and dry, which places the Campbell River area in a high risk of wildfire.
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For more information on fire safety visit www.campbellriver.ca/fire. Find provincial fire ban information here http://bcfireinfo.for.gov.bc.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNews/Bans.asp
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