West Vancouver firefighters are confounded after someone deliberately lit campfire in a bone-dry wooded area.
A dog walker passing through the wooded area south of Park Royal happened upon the fire Tuesday evening and called 911.
“Extremely, extremely irresponsible thing to be doing in conditions like this,” said assistant fire chief Jeff Bush. “It was a very minor incident but the potential was there.”
While cooler weather has arrived, the fire risk remains at high, Bush said. That means open flames including charcoal barbeques are banned in all North Shore parks and wooded areas.
“If the hot dry weather continues, that’s moving up to extreme,” he said.
That would mean gas grills are also banned.
On July 20, crews spent more than an hour battling a major brush fire on Parthenon Place after some teens inadvertently lit the area up with cigarettes and matches.
Most people are compliant with the fire regulations, Bush said, but after he spoke to a group of people with a fire burning on Ambleisde Beach recently, he was spat on.
“I turned by back and I got horked on,” he said. “I figured it’s probably better to just de-escalate the situation. I went to my vehicle and got my handi-wipes.”
Bush said people should pay close attention to the West Vancouver Fire and Rescue’s social media channels on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates on fire bans.
“As soon as a ban comes out, we’ll broadcast it and if you have any questions, contact your local fire department.
