“Fire Crews Battle 11 Small Wildfires Over the Easter Weekend”

CTV News April 13

“Wildfires Burning Northwest of Campbell River”

Vancouver Island Free Daily April 17

“Projections Indicate High Forest Fire Risk This Summer”

My Powell River Now May 5

The 2020 fire season has begun in British Columbia and on Vancouver Island.

Do you know the #1 cause of wildfires in British Columbia? You probably do. Yes, the #1 cause is lightning strikes as other naturally caused wildfires due to volcanic activity and meteorites are not that common.

We know we can’t control nature but we can control the fuel that feeds the wildfires. That’s why so many of you participated in our second Fire Smart Clean Up this past month. We reduced the amount of wildfire fuel (dead trees/branches, invasive species such as English ivy, Himalayan blackberry, Scotch broom, and other organic material) in Long Lake Heights filling a record number of five bins.

We can also control the heat source that wildfires need in order to burn. The BC Wildfire Service recorded 111 wildfires in BC for the month of April, 2020. Of those 111 wildfires, it has been confirmed that 83% were human caused. Some examples of human causes include open burning, the use of engines or vehicles, and dropping burning substances such as cigarettes.

This is our disaster waiting to happen.

This picture was taken May 11 on the side of Summit Drive. The butts are lying on a bed of dry fir needles.

Several home owners have complained about the littering of cigarette butts and are concerned not only for the safety of our community but our environment as well. We live in a beautiful, natural forested community and we are fortunate to live on an island as well.  Cigarette butts are the biggest ocean contaminant. Cigarette butts on the side of the road end up in our lake through our storm drains.  One cigarette butt in one liter of water is enough to poison and kill a fish.

We would like to ask home owners and their families who are smokers to please recycle/dispose of their cigarettes butts responsibly.  When out walking, you may want to consider using a pocket ashtray or bring something with you to put your cigarette butt in until you can dispose of it at home.

Anyone interested in fire bans currently in effect can refer to the following BC government and City of Nanaimo links.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/fire-bans-and-restrictions

https://www.nanaimo.ca/city-services/emergency-services/fire-rescue/burning-regulations