Fire prevention and department news for Hornby Island Fire Rescue
With the rain and cooler temperatures overnight, the fire danger rating for Hornby has eased.
High risk activities such as the use of chainsaws is now allowed. With that said, the ground below the surface is still very dry, so please exercise caution and keep an extra eye out after you have finished any projects.
All burning as prescribed by the Province of B.C. is still banned.
We will update the signs and continue to keep everyone informed of any changes.
The Province has banned all category 2 and category 3 burning until further notice. Campfires of less than half meter in diameter (category 1) are currently still allowed.
For all those who have asked, and those who want to ask….YES…we are chipping yard waste again this year.
The current target date for the start of chipping is December 4th. The program remains the same. Please place the branches aligned in one direction, nothing larger than 10 cm at the base, no invasive species, no leaf piles, and no construction debris. Your piles should be at the edge of the road and not interfere with traffic.
If you have any questions, please contact the firehall (250.335.2611) and we will be glad to help.
Many have already heard, but as of noon Wednesday September 27, the ban on campfires and backyard burns has been lifted. We always ask that for backyard burns people look to see if the venting index is good so that you don’t smoke out your neighbours.
With the hot dry weather coming this weekend, we have made he decision to shut down back yard burns as of this weekend. If you have an existing permit please consider that it is over as of Saturday. If we get a reprieve in the weather we may well allow burning again, but with a wildfire already going on Vancouver Island the prudent thing to do is to minimize risk.
If you see smoke in Helliwell……all is well. The province is continuing its work with a contractor to remove fuels via contained burning.
Things to remember:
This is a great program that removes fuel that can feed a wildfire near your house as well as improving the quality of our air by reducing burn piles.
We are sad to say that we have had to cancel fireworks this year due to the dry conditions.
While it might rain before Halloween, we just can’t be sure that it will, and so we had to decide to hold off.
We are really pleased to be able to confirm that the chipping program is back again this year. This program helps reduce solid fuels around your properties and keeps our air quality higher through the reduction in burning.
We received funding, found a home for our chips and have a service provider to handle the program.
Right now we are looking to have about a week of chipping starting in early November. As with previous years, your branches and brush will get put out on the road side, neatly arranged and pointing in one direction.
Keep your eyes on this space for further timing and instructions on what can go in your piles.
Over the last couple of days the fire danger rating has decreased to the point where high risk activities are now allowed again. However a total fire ban remains in effect until we have a little more forgiving weather.
If you do start using your chainsaw, please use extra caution and consider having a bucket of water or a spray can on hand while you work.