Campfires are Back

It’s been a strange start to the summer, but it just doesn’t seem reasonable to continue with the campfire ban considering the conditions. We are removing the campfire ban as of Fri, July 3 at noon. Backyard brush piles are still disallowed.

  • Campfires are 1/2 meter in diameter and used for cooking, warmth, or ceremony.
  • Do not leave your campfire unattended
  • Make sure you have a bucket of water to extinguish it if the wind comes up or for when you go to bed.
  • Please don’t use sand to put it out, because it can trap heat, force it to burn underground into logs and roots, and can cause a nasty burn if someone with bare feet steps on it.

Enjoy your s’mores while you can. They may not be around for long. … the fires, not the s’mores.

Earliest Fire Ban… Ever?

We’re expecting a complete fire ban to begin on Thursday, May 7, at noon. No backyard burning, no category 3 piles, and no campfires. Any open permits will be considered revoked on Thursday at noon.

There have been 11 wildfire starts on Vancouver Island, and a minor one here on Hornby. Our partners at BC Wildfire Service have done an excellent job of getting them all out and mopped up, but it’s just going to get harder and harder as the weather heats up.

Much of B.C. has been experiencing hot, dry, and sunny conditions over the past several days, drying out vegetation across the province. Wind is expected to increase tomorrow through the north and parts of central B.C., and across most areas on Wednesday, May 6. If a wildfire starts, it could grow quickly.

The good news is that we are looking at a spring chipping run to begin in the next few weeks. More news on that as soon as we can schedule the contractor.

Burn Permits start on Sat Apr 25

Given the drying conditions, the fact that we’ve just seen our first wildfire in our zone, the two burn pile-related incidents we’ve attended in as many weeks, and the prospect of a nasty fire season, we will soon require permits for all burns larger than a campfire. Permits are free and can be obtained by calling the fire hall at 250.335.2611 or by filling out the form at the bottom of the page. Someone will come to inspect your burn pile on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

The HIFR member who comes to see your backyard burn pile will want to see the following:

  • A water source
  • Hand tools for extinguishing
  • 3m clearance to buildings, tall grass, or standing timber.

Any burn piles containing logs or stumps are considered category III piles and require:

  • A provincial burn number
  • 250 gallons of water and a pump capable of delivering 50GPM
  • a good vent index
  • at least 1km from the school
  • more than 500m from the closest residence

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    Loaner Fire Truck

    Over the next couple of weeks, you may be surprised to see what looks like a new fire truck on Hornby. Oyster River 42 is a truck that our good friends at Oyster River Fire have loaned us while our “first out” engine is in Rob’s shop for repairs. To get it recertified for another 5 years of service, it needs significant work on its pump intake manifold. This work is expected to take at least a week.

    Big thanks go out to Chief Bruce Green and Deputy Chief Jeff Caring for arranging for us to use their rig.

    Also, we are so fortunate to have the “machine whisperer” Rob Zielinski on our team, keeping our equipment in such great running order. I call him the machine whisperer because someone will be running a truck pump and he’ll come up to me and say, “You hear that sound?”

    The pump will be going “grgrggrgggggggrgr”, like it always does, and I’ll nod and say “oh yeah, of course … what is it?” He’ll say something like “The wupperman valve is overcharging the internal dynamic extrator. You can tell because your gradient meter is showing 10 nanopascals out of spec.”

    I say, “Oof, that sounds serious. Can you fix it?”

    “Yeah, but I’ll have to take out the scronculator and machine the phase detractor in my lathe.”

    Running a remote/rural fire service can be challenging, but I rarely have to worry about our machinery, and I know we have incredible support from our neighbouring fire departments.

    Cadet Camp 2026 Cancelled

    I’m sad to announce that we have to cancel this year’s camp due to the lack of senior firefighters available to lead the sessions. Several of us will be off the island, and the remaining crew will be busy with their regular day jobs. 

    It has been suggested that we try to schedule something for the first week or two of summer vacation. This will depend on how the province’s fire season shapes up. Stay tuned for more info on that.

    Sorry for bringing you this disappointing news.

    Backyard Burning

    With all the recent rain, we are no longer asking people to register their burn piles.

    Please note that large piles that have stumps, or are machine built always require a permit which you can get by calling the hall.

    Keep smoke etiquette in mind, check the ventilation index, and try to avoid burning a lot of green leaves or needles. Watch to make sure you aren’t smoking out your neighbors. As always, a supply of water and hand tools is required when burning.

    Current Burning Restrictions

    All Category 2 backyard burning is now allowed. We ask everyone who will be doing a burn to please leave a message at the hall with your address and contact information. Category 3 piles (greater than 2 meters or containing large diameter logs or stumps) require a permit and must follow the venting index.

    Be kind to your neighbours and watch the smoke from your piles to make sure it is going up and not sideways. Also try and avoid burning green leaves or branches as they create a lot of unnecessary smoke.