The City of Victoria has turned to X (Twitter) to remind residents that beach fires can ignite bush fires very easily amid the city’s current drought conditions.
In the early morning hours of Monday, September 11th, an overnight beach fire was the cause of a bush fire that burned approximately 300-square metres on Dallas Road.
The area which was burnt was along a bluff formerly laden with greenery, flowers and ferns.
The very same area where this fire was started was mere metres away from the site of a beach fire that caused a similar bush fire back in July.
Now, the city is trying to remind Victorians that although the temperature has been steadily dropping as we inch closer to autumn, conditions are still incredibly dry and fires can start very easily.
In addition, in Victoria parks and on beaches, there is no smoking or use of propane appliances such as fire pits permitted at this time.
Any deviance from prohibited activities will come with a hefty fine if caught.
Under the BC Wildfire Service’s current fire ban, a ticket for breaking the fire ban comes with a ticket of $1,150.
Additionally, if an individual is convicted in court, they could be fined up to $100,000 and may be sentenced to one year in jail.
The ticketed individual also may have to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
Since the City of Victoria posted their tweet about the bush fire, some are calling on them to more diligently enforce fire ban related bylaws.
