Fire prevention and department news for Hornby Island Fire Rescue
As of Wed, October 16, residential backyard burning no longer requires a permit. However, please have mercy on your neighbours and burn only on a day with a good venting index. You can find a map showing the venting index on the right-hand side of this website.
Keep in mind that category 3 piles always require a permit. Category 3 piles are those that were built by a machine or those that contain stumps or large logs.
On Hornby Island, permits will be required prior to lighting your pile. Call the firehall at 250.335.2611 to request your free permit. We write them on Wednesdays and Saturdays and they are usually good for two weeks.
Burning can only take place on days with a good venting index. You can see the venting index on the link on the right-hand side of this page or click here and look for “CNTRL VAN ISLAND”.
Considering the extremely dry weather, the rising fire hazard, and the wildfires that have been happening on Vancouver Island, we have decided to close all backyard burning for the season. Effective noon on May 10, no more permits will be issued and any open permits will be cancelled.
Campfires are still allowed but must be limited to .5 meters x .5 meters. Campfires are for cooking, warmth, or ceremony, not for backyard cleanup. Please fully extinguish your campfires using water. Burying them with gravel or dirt is not a great method of extinguishing them.
Backyard burning season will likely reopen in late September.
After the two recent tragic deaths in our
Effective noon on Wednesday, April 3, backyard burning will require a permit. We will write permits on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You can arrange to get one by calling the fire hall at 250.335.2611 and leaving a message if no one is there to take your call.
Please keep in mind the air quality problems that we have been seeing in our area and the amount of carbon that is released into the atmosphere when yard waste is burned. Instead, consider composting your yard waste or taking it to The Depot for disposal.
UPDATE: This year’s camp is now full. Any new registrations that we get will be added to the waiting list. Thank you for your interest.
This year’s HIFR Cadet Camp will take place on Thursday, March 21. This is a one day camp for youth aged 10 to 14. They will learn some basic first aid skills, make an actual call to a 911 dispatcher, use a fire hose, learn how to escape a burning building, and put out real fires with a fire extinguisher.
The camp runs from 10 AM until 3:30 PM and lunch
We have room for 20 participants.
Click here to register online or call the office at 250.335.2611 to talk to the fire chief or leave a message.
The celebration of life for retired Fire Chief Giff LaRose will take place on Saturday, January 26, here on Hornby Island.
There will be a procession from the fire hall to the community hall beginning at 1330. The distance is about 500 meters. The honour guard will march behind the engine followed by members of HIFR, then other fire service personnel, then community members.
The service will begin at the community hall at 1400 with the last alarm ceremony, and then will be taken over by Giff’s nephew, Keith.
For those coming from Vancouver Island, getting on the 1205 ferry at Buckley Bay will get you here in time for the procession. Return ferries are every hour, on the hour.
As is tradition, every year at the very last minute we throw together something and call it “organizing the polar bear swim”. The swim will happen on New Years Day at Grassy Point. We will be hitting the water en masse at noon sharp.
We just went and cut up a
Big thanks to the ISLA board and to Shannon Cupper for the mill slab donation!
Today was the second time we’ve been called out in a span of two months for a chimney fires. Fortunately, in both of these incidents, the fire did not escape the chimney and there was no damage to the houses. In both cases, the fires occurred at the bends of the chimney. These are vulnerable points because that is where the creosote builds up.
If you have a chimney that has an
A straight chimney is the ideal situation because it’s easier to clean, has a better draft, and is less likely to build up creosote. In those cases where a straight chimney isn’t an option, frequent cleanings will help prevent a potentially catastrophic fire.
If you do have a chimney fire call 911. If it is safe to do so, open the stove, throw 1 cup of water into the stove, close the door, and close the damper. Then leave the house and wait for the fire department to come.
It is with shock and profound sadness that we learn of the death of retired Fire Chief Gifford LaRose, who passed away suddenly while on vacation. Giff was a 20-year member of Hornby Island Fire Rescue and served as Chief for 15 years until his retirement in 2017.
Chief LaRose’s legacy with HIFR will be remembered as one of realized vision. Among other things, he was responsible for a network of water sources across our island, and was the driving force behind our beautiful new fire hall. Our department and the safety of our community is where it is today largely due to Giff’s vision and hard work. Aside from his incredible body of work with HIFR, he served on several community-based boards and worked hard to make our island community a better place to live.
We are devastated to hear of his passing and are holding his family and many friends—both inside and outside of the fire service—close in our thoughts.