A potentially dangerous beach fire last Monday (June 29) in Roberts Creek has spurred residents to press local authorities to step up fire protection and monitoring.
Steve Mitten was awakened that night by a neighbour shouting, "Fire." He ran outside to see an abandoned beach fire among the washed up logs at the high tide mark that had grown to about 4.5 metres in length and nine metres in width.
The fire was already beginning to scorch vegetation around his neighbours' property and creep under the deck of a wooden boathouse.
Residents called 9-1-1 and were able to hold back the fire from spreading with garden hoses.
Roberts Creek Fire Department volunteers were not able to get their truck to the location of the fire and were forced to use portable pumps.
Mitten said it was lucky the tide was high enough for firefighters' portable pumps to reach the fire and that the wind was not blowing the fire towards the nearby houses and forest.
"If you had a fire like this when there was a southeast wind blowing, forget it. Roberts Creek would look like a moonscape," he said.
Mitten said he keeps an eye on the beach and has counted 57 fires since May, many of them carelessly set up and abandoned when the party's over.
Mitten is calling for the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD), Sunshine Coast RCMP and the fire department to step up public education, patrols and enforcement.
"I think if we raise awareness a little bit, if we get a little bit more enforcement, then I think we can manage this thing. But if we don't, it's going to lead to a serious forest fire, loss of life, fines, lawsuits and ultimately a fire ban so none of us can have fires, and I don't think anyone wants that," he said.
Mitten took his message to the SCRD policing services committee meeting on Monday, July 6. He met again with SCRD board chair Donna Shugar, SCRD staff, RCMP and the fire department to discuss further options on Wednesday and said it was a "productive meeting" that looked at options for further education and enforcement before resorting to banning beach fires entirely.
Roberts Creek Fire Chief Bruce Searle said he attempts to put fire bans and signs up on the beach during dry periods, but he officially does not have jurisdiction, as the beach is Crown land.
"Anything below high tide is owned by Queen Elizabeth. We've always gone and put out fires down there because it's part of the community, but it's really out of our fire protection jurisdiction, so we don't really have the authority to make any rules down there," he said.
In order to extend its fire jurisdiction, the SCRD would have to have a land-lease agreement with the province similar to the Town of Gibsons, which has banned beach fires.
In the meantime, Searle said he encourages common sense when enjoying beach fires, something he does on a near-weekly basis. He said people should have proper water buckets to extinguish their fires when they are done as well as keep fires small and contained and at least two metres away from dry logs and debris.
Shugar said there is a strong desire among the SCRD board and staff to get a better handle on fire protection on the beach in Roberts Creek, but the jurisdictional issues complicate the matter.
She said the board is expecting to hear a report from staff on how the SCRD can handle beach fires at the community services committee meeting on Thursday, July 16.
Shugar said the meetings on the issue so far have been fruitful in sharing information and she believes they will lead to progress.
"I've been harping about this for quite a while, but I think the police, in particular, were taken aback by the extent, the proximity to the property line and size [of the fire], so I think there is going to be some action," she said.
