Prolonged dry weather and dwindling water reserves led Sechelt Fire Chief Bill Higgs to ask for a delay to the start of backyard burning in Sechelt during the Oct. 3 council meeting.
Currently a bylaw permits backyard burning for two weeks starting Oct. 15, but Higgs said he wanted it delayed until conditions change.
Staff noted the fire chief has the authority to ban burning in the District any time he deems necessary.
Higgs said the time is now, noting his department is currently confirming alternative water sources for firefighting should the situation get any worse.
"It's not a laughing matter," he said.
"We've had several fires in the past 30 years that I can remember that we've used 300,000 and 400,000 gallons of water to suppress. I'm talking specifically industrial fires such as up on Field Road, sawmills, that type of thing. A downtown burn here in the commercial unsprinklered core would consume upwards of 100,000 gallons of water," Higgs said.
"That's a significant draw off of our reservoir we can go through a couple hundred thousand gallons of water pretty quickly, and it becomes a real priority to get that initial knockdown, so we're not shy on using water initially."
He said the Sechelt Fire Department has plans to use salt water to fight fires if need be, as well as a plan to drain the aquatic centre in an emergency situation.
"It's a significant issue right now."
Sechelt council agreed its backyard burning bylaw should be changed to delay the start date until likely November; however, Higgs will have the final say.
An amended bylaw to that effect is expected to come to the Oct. 10 committee meeting.
Higgs said other fire departments on the Coast will approach their respective governments to ask for similar restrictions soon.
