CURRENT FOREST FIRE HAZARD

  • CURRENT BURNING REGULATIONS - Open Burning Permitted when Venting Index is rated GOOD
  • CURRENT FOREST FIRE HAZARD - LOW

Monday, August 22, 2011

Extreme Forest Fire Hazard Raises Concerns

Despite the one day of rain today, the recent bout of hot weather and never ending wind has certainly dried out the forest. This can be seen by the number of recent fires having been attended. There have been three on Harbour View Road, the most recent of which occuring at night. Crews did an awesome job getting this under control before the fire hit the forest. The fire was stopped only inches from the tree line. If we had been another few minutes, it certainly could have proved quite disasterous. Other recent fires included an out of control beach fire on Ella Road, another at Billings Park and a couple of set fires in Broom Hill Playground. Another attempted fire was found on the Gatewood Trail. Once the drying trend returns (tomorrow) please be careful out there and remind others to be as well. Reminder that campfires are NOT permitted in parks.

On another note, a tragic incident occured at the Sooke Potholes when crews responded to a medical emergency, only to find a woman had drowned. Firefighters recovered the body and carried her back to the parking lot for identification. RCMP are investigating along with the Coroners office.

It was a busy week for MVIs to. At the same time as the Potholes call, a single vehicle MVI with three occupants was attended on Sooke River Rd. The pickup truck went over the bank and down about 30 feet. The three young men suffered a variety of minor injuries and were very lucky to get out in the condition they did. A two vehicle crash on Sooke Road at Manzer Road created a big traffic delay. One vehicle was severly damaged, but luckily no serious injuries. A three car crash at Sooke and Otter Point Road again had no injuries. One of the vehicles was parked at the time and suffered some serious damage.

Starlight Cinema and Movie in the Park has now ended for the season. While the first three nights had good sized crowds, the Firefighters Association showing of Marley and Me was poorly attended. It was a shame as the funds were supporting a good cause. Maybe we should try again next year we advertising can be done well in advance.

New lighting is being put up in the parking lots of the fire hall and city hall. As a result the power is out in the gym. Hope to have the work done by Friday. Speaking of work on fire halls, Station 2 is undergoing a long overdue face lift. New panels are being installed over the old warped siding. A new coat of paint will also be applied to the exterior along with some minor work to the interior.

And finally about this blog. It is difficult to keep up with this due to other work constraints. As a result I will do a weekly update each Friday so look for more news this coming Friday and then each week after that. If you would like to have something added, please send me an email outlining what you would like to see or post.

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