An attempt to burn illegally dumped garbage ignited a large brush fire on the Duncan Bay Main logging road June 4.
Just after 1 p.m., the Coastal Fire Centre in Errington contacted Campbell River Fire Rescue reporting a large brush fire on the Duncan Bay Main logging road approximately 1 kilometer south of Willis Road.
“On arrival, crews joined firefighters from the provincial Wildfire Protection Branch, who were already fighting the fire,” says fire chief Ian Baikie. “Campbell River fire fighters supplied water to the scene, and the two fire agencies worked together to extinguish a 30 by 60 meter fire.”
Investigators have determined the blaze was a human-caused fire.
“There was a considerable amount of illegally dumped garbage at the scene, and it appears that someone had attempted to burn the garbage as a method of disposal,” Baikie adds. “Unfortunately, this individual was very reckless as the fire had been set right at the edge of the forested land. With the dry stretch of weather we’ve been having, the fire spread quickly into the adjacent grass and the trees.”
Campbell River Fire Rescue would like to remind the public of the importance of exercising caution when using back roads during fire season, and to thoroughly extinguishing recreational fires until they are cold to the touch when leaving an area.
– Contributed by Campbell River City Hall.
