Fire prevention and department news for Hornby Island Fire Rescue
HIFR was recently asked about accepting donations to our volunteer fund in memory of one of our most recent patients; Vickie MacDonald. Her family (husband Ian, and children Mike and Allison) have asked if we could create a way to donate to our volunteer fund in memory of Vickie.
You can visit our Volunteer Fund page to find out ways to donate or click on the link below.
Thank you to the MacDonald family and all supporters for their generosity.
Yesterday our duty officer responded to a smoldering log at the parking lot at Little Trib. Someone had put out a cigarette on the crispy dry red cedar log that marks the parking area. A nice on-shore breeze fanned the embers and it spread into the log.
Right beside the log is a metal can for disposing of cigarette butts. On the other side of the log is a quarter acre of dry grass. Downwind of the log are really dry scrubby beach shrubs and four homes. When I visited the site today I found 6-8 cigarette butts that looked less than a week old in the grass.
Little Trib beach access is highways land and it is legal to smoke there. However, those logs at the edge of the parking lot border on very dry and flammable private land. Please, if you use that log for a get-together or for just enjoying the view use the metal can for your butts. Perhaps consider moving down onto the gravel beach when smoking. That way if an ember falls onto the ground it won’t light up the dry grass.
Also please let others, who may not be following social media, know the importance of being safe with cigarettes.
Effective noon on July 30 we are implementing restrictions on high risk activities. These activities include chainsaw usage, lawn mowing, brush cutting with metal blades, and land clearing. Nylon string weed trimmers are allowed as they are unlikely to create a spark.
For more information on which activities are allowed and which are restricted please refer to the Wildfire BC page.
If you witness someone engaging in one of the risky activities you can call the Fire Patrol cell phone at 250.703.1792 or the Fire Hall at 250.335.2611. If you choose to inform the operator yourself please be kind. They may not be aware of the restrictions. Entering into a confrontation benefits no one.
It’s been a pretty good run for campfires this year but this heat has dried up any moisture in the ground and the BC Ministry of Forests has declared a campfire ban. The ban comes into effect on Wed, July 18 at noon.
CSA approved propane appliances are still allowed as are briquette barbecues. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Here is what is likely the last update on the fire hall construction. Included is an update on the Superiour Tanker Shuttle Accreditation and the end-of-project financial wrap-up. Click on the image for a pdf.
After a ton of hard work and long hours of studying, Duncan MacCaskill and Rob Lewis have been promoted from Rookie to Firefighter. Duncan returned to us this year after a lengthy absence and Rob joined our department almost two years ago.
The test to be promoted has a multi hour practical component and a 40 question written test. They both demonstrated an outstanding commitment to their training, to the betterment of our department, and to the health and safety of our community.
Congratulations Rob and Duncan!
On behalf of HIFR, and the entire Hornby Island community, I’d like to congratulate Jac Graham, Rob “Louie” Lewis, Albini Lapierre, and Scott Towson for achieving their FR licenses though the Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board.
They dedicated themselves to a 40 hour course then did many more hours of practice before challenging both a written and practical exam. I’d also like to thank Paula Courteau for her many hours of prep and for her excellent instruction, and John Heinegg for doing all of the evaluations.
I could not be more proud of the dedication of this group of volunteers to the health and safety of our community.
Doug Chinnery
Fire Chief
The most recent news letter from the Coastal Fire Center has a bunch of great information inside. The front page tells us all about the various categories of outdoor fires… What makes a campfire a campfire and what differentiates a category 2 backyard burn from a category 3 slash pile.
Further on in the newsletter they discuss the often talked about ventilation index and how to report a non permitted burn.
Click on the image for a pdf version of the newsletter.
As of noon today the Ministry of Forests closed all backyard burning in the coastal fire region. If you have a current permit, you should consider it revoked. 
Campfires are still allowed without a permit. A campfire is fire for cooking, warmth, or ceremonial purposes and not to exceed .5 meters x .5 meters.
This is the press release that I just received.
