Firefighters Raise Concerns Over Abandoned, Intentionally Set Fires on Sunshine Coast

Emma MacLeod

8/18/20262 min read

Firefighters on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast are raising concerns about abandoned and intentionally set fires after several incidents in and around Sechelt.

Resident Karen Richard said she was walking through a forested area near the Tsain-Ko shopping centre Saturday morning when she discovered a small fire still smouldering.

“I could see a little smouldering,” Richard said. “It was like a foot in diameter, little sticks and paper, like, piled up and there was a written note on the rock and a bandana laying across the rock.”

Richard quickly poured water over the fire before contacting police.

“It was definitely intentional,” she said.

The fire was not far from her home, adding to concerns among residents about the possibility of a larger wildfire starting in the community.

“We have an awesome community, and there's a lot of scared people in our community,” Richard said.

Fire Department Responds to Dozens of Reports

Campfires are currently allowed in Sechelt, but Fire Chief Dwight Davison said the department is concerned about fires that appear to have been deliberately lit and then abandoned.

“We do have some areas that we've had some intentionally-set fires or lit fires,” Davison said.

Since May, the Sechelt Fire Department has responded to 28 calls involving reported beach fires or campfires.

Two of those incidents involved fires that had either not been completely extinguished or were left unattended while still burning, Davison said.

The remaining 26 reports were either inaccurate or involved fires that had already been extinguished before firefighters arrived.

Cedar Trees Set Ablaze

Firefighters responded to another concerning incident on Aug. 9 along Porpoise Bay Road, where two cedar trees were engulfed in flames.

“When they burned, [they] put off a lot of embers and the fire was quite aggressive on them,” Davison said.

He said the blaze was human-caused but was not connected to a campfire.

Davison has firsthand experience with the destructive potential of wildfires after being deployed to assist with a fire burning near Clinton.

“Our residents are very concerned; they don't want something like that happening on the Sunshine Coast and nor do I,” he said.

Campfire Ban Remains Under Consideration

A campfire prohibition is already in effect in portions of the Coastal Fire Centre, including Manning Park, Chilliwack, Sea to Sky and the South Island forest districts.

Sechelt is not currently included.

Davison said comparatively high humidity, regular precipitation and a lower fire danger rating are among the reasons a local prohibition has not yet been imposed.

“We've been in the low fire danger rating for quite some time,” he said. “We are monitoring the situation very, very closely in regards to enacting a campfire prohibition.”

The fire department is using weather-tracking and prediction software to determine whether conditions warrant further restrictions.

“We've been experiencing a pattern of precipitation coming through on a pretty regular basis,” Davison said.

Chief Says Ban Cannot Prevent Deliberate Fires

Davison said he remains confident that firefighters can respond quickly to emergencies across their coverage area.

He also cautioned that restrictions alone cannot eliminate the danger posed by irresponsible or deliberate behaviour.

“A campfire prohibition isn't going to stop somebody from going out and intentionally lighting something on fire,” Davison said. “Prohibition isn't going to stop somebody from flicking a cigarette out a window.”

Fire officials are reminding residents and visitors to behave responsibly around open flames and ensure campfires are completely extinguished before leaving them unattended.

News

Stay updated with the latest BC news stories, subscribe to our newsletter today.

SUBSCRIBE

LINKS

Ethics