Tag Archives: Cortes Island Fire Department

Animals, Disaster, Politics

Chart added – Proposed Open Fire Ban; Moving towards a Dog Control Service

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Regional Director Mark Vonesch brought two Cortes Island motions before the SRD Board on Wednesday, September 13. Both were passed with no opposing votes. The first was to draw up an Open Burning Bylaw in the parts of Cortes Island within the South Cortes Fire Protection Area. However the electorate needs to approve the second item, a proposed Dog Control Service. 

Vonesch was on the way home, waiting in the ferry line-up at Heriot Bay, when he spoke with Cortes Currents:

Continue reading Chart added – Proposed Open Fire Ban; Moving towards a Dog Control Service →
Disaster

Can chainsaw usage be prohibited during the summer heat?  

The #1 complaint the Cortes Island Fire Department received this summer was that some people continued to use chainsaws despite the drought and the possibility of sparking a wildfire. Interim Fire Chief Eli McKenty said this occurred in multiple locations across Cortes Island. He explained the current regulations are ‘too fuzzy’ to enforce and a possible solution may be adding chainsaw use to the proposed Cortes Island Open Burning Bylaw currently before the Strathcona Regional District Board.

Continue reading Can chainsaw usage be prohibited during the summer heat?   →
Disaster

Preparing for a wildfire: the Cortes Island Fire Department

There have been large wildfires on Cortes Island in the distant past. The largest shown in the 2011 Wildfire protection plan was more than 330 acres in extent, and there were two fires that burned close to 250 acres. Those were in 1932, 1924 and 1923, respectively. There hasn’t been a fire larger than 10 hectares since at least 1950. 

This could change, as our summers become warmer and dryer. 

Last week Premier Eby declared a state of emergency in face of the worst wildfire season in BC’s history. 

While there are no major fires in our immediate vicinity, the BC Wildfire service says, “We are in a drought condition. Our forest fire fuels are very dry and the ignition potential is extremely high.” So Cortes Currents asked interim Fire Chief Eli McKenty what the situation is like on Cortes Island.

Continue reading Preparing for a wildfire: the Cortes Island Fire Department →
Disaster

Cortes Fire Department creates wildfire brigade, begins recruiting

By Louis Belcourt, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

The Cortes Island Fire Department is creating a new Wildfire Brigade to serve the community.

It’s function will be to support the department during major wildfire events with Wildland firefighting, structural protection, and support tasks. In a deployment, Wildland members will work in teams supervised by existing department officers or team leaders.

Continue reading Cortes Fire Department creates wildfire brigade, begins recruiting →
Disaster, Politics

What’s happening with the Cortes Island Open Burning Bylaw?

There was a great deal of anger on Cortes Island when the province lifted the open campfire ban on June 21.  As Nancy Kendel wrote in the Tideline, “We have had basically NO RAIN since beginning of May, and our forests are tinder dry!” The ban was reimposed days later, but the underlying problem persists today. Cortes Island is part of the Coastal Fire Centre, and the regulations governing it are drawn up in a wetter climate.

Continue reading What’s happening with the Cortes Island Open Burning Bylaw? →