Fire Crews Nervous Of Long Weekend

By David Wiwchar PORT ALBERNI — Once again, a carelessly discarded cigarette is being blamed for starting a fire in Port Alberni.

Shortly after 7:30 Thursday evening, the fire department was called to the train station on Argyle after a discarded cigarette started some bark mulch on fire.

The fire then spread across dry grass into the parking lot where the front end of a car caught on fire, causing about $3,000 damage to the vehicle.

Firefighters are already concerned that this B.C. Day Long Weekend will be no holiday for them, with the fire danger rated as extreme, and people rushing to their favorite backwoods camping spots.

The B.C. Government says visits to provincial campsites are up by 10 per cent already this year, and those campsites will be at a premium this weekend, as many forest companies have gated off access through their private lands due to the extreme fire hazard.

Forests Minister Pat Bell says more than 150 conservation officers and rangers will be on patrol, enforcing the campfire ban.

Violators could be fined $345 for ignoring the order.

Bell says everyone at the campfire could be ticketed, not just the person who strikes the match.

Remember, all fires are banned, the only exception is cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes with a flame length no longer than 15 centimeters.

Campfires in the West Vancouver Island Fog Zone are still exempt from this prohibition.

The Coulson Flying Tankers Martin Mars made 10 drops on a fire north of Kamloops at Bonaparte Lake on Wednesday evening. But while the blaze continued Thursday, the Hawaii Mars sat and waited.

Flying Tankers manager Jim Messer said there's a good chance the bomber will be dispatched to the Interior this weekend.