The Pender Harbour Fire Department has ordered a campfire ban and complete open burning prohibition for the Pender Fire Protection District.
The ban went into force at noon June 28, following a week that saw a wildfire at Cecil Hill burn through nine hectares of forest, coming close enough to homes on one street that an evacuation alert was issued, and lightning spark four other fires.
BC Wildfire Service crews continued their work this week, with crews engaged in mop-up work and patrols at the Cecil Hill fire and the largest of the lightning-triggered fires at Quarry Lake on Nelson Island.
As of Tuesday morning, the Cecil Hill fire, which started June 24, was classified as under control with a crew of 19 working on the final mop-up and patrols.
The Quarry Lake fire was also under control and fully contained at 4.5 hectares, with 18 firefighters involved in mop-up and patrols.
A spot fire near Klein Lake measured at 0.01 hectare was the only other fire still listed as active. The fire, though small, was in steep terrain and ground crews weren’t able to get in. Helicopter bucketing continued over the long weekend and the Wildfire Service was planning to assess the fire on Tuesday to determine if it was out.
The Coastal Fire Centre also said they may be able to declare the fires at Cecil Hill and Quarry Lake out before the end of the week, allowing the Wildfire Service crews to demobilize.
Fire danger ratings had returned to moderate or high by Wednesday, but the Coastal Fire Centre had not yet imposed a campfire ban.
Coastal Fire Centre regulations apply to areas outside the jurisdiction of municipalities and local fire departments, and the SCRD told Coast Reporter last month that its fire departments would follow the Coastal Fire Centre’s lead when it comes to the timing of a campfire ban.
A full campfire ban, including beach fires above and below the high water mark, has been in place in Sechelt since June 20.
The Town of Gibsons bans all outdoor burning, including campfires and beach fires, all year round.
