We love a good campfire. But we love the continued health and safety of our Island more.
A campfire ban has been in effect for weeks on Vancouver Island, as summer came early with warm temperatures, and more crucially, very little rain.
In the Cowichan Valley, we haven’t seen any significant rainfall in several months. This has become pretty normal for August and September, but not for May and June. It’s put us ahead of schedule for things like watering restrictions (the CVRD is already on Stage 3) and fire bans.
As we head into the height of summer, with kids out of school and families headed for camping trips, it’s vital that everyone do their part and obey the fire bans.
It is disheartening to see the remains of recent campfires on local Cowichan beaches in spite of the regulations. No matter how safe people think they’re being by building a fire in the sand, they are still risking catastrophe. One gust of wind can carry sparks and embers into bone-dry brush. Once that happens, the game is over. Just last week firefighters had to put out a wildfire in Thetis Lake Park that started out as a campfire.
So while we love s’mores and the warmth of a good blaze on a summer evening as much as the next person, it’s time to be responsible grown-ups and not light the place on fire. (And yes, this applies to teenagers, too. If you’re not mature enough to think through the consequences, then you’re not mature enough to even contemplate lighting a fire of any size.)
Of the seven wildfires burning on Vancouver Island at the time of this writing, the cause of two was under investigation, while the remaining ones were considered to be caused by humans. This includes the Cameron Lake wildfire that cut off Highway 4 to Port Alberni, isolating the west coast of the Island, causing great hardship to many people and businesses.
Campfires, of course, aren’t the only way humans cause fires. How many times have you seen someone carelessly toss a cigarette butt out the car window as the driver speeds along? There’s pretty much nothing drier than the brush on a roadside, and many fires are started this way.
North Cowichan has closed the gates to its municipal forest to vehicles to try to prevent fires there. We all remember the Maple Mountain wildfire of 2018.
Any spark from vehicles or equipment could have dire consequences.
While on occasion lightning does spark fire, this is not the cause of most of the wildfires that happen on Vancouver Island. Most are started by people. The good news is, this means it is within our power to stop them before they start.