This past weekend, the Central Saanich Fire Department was called to extinguish 12 fires on Island View Beach. We are asking for the public's support in helping keep everyone safe this summer. Beach fires are never permitted at Island View Beach. The beaches are patrolled regularly, monitored by local residents as well, and fires will be extinguished.
Beach fires pose a fire risk to plants and trees, and could spark a wildfire, which is not something we can risk—especially given the current circumstances. Smoke from a beach fire not only impacts air quality for nearby residents, it is toxic. When burned, driftwood releases carcinogenic dioxins into the air due to combustion of the sea salt-saturated wood.
Many adults, children and pets have been seriously burned by beach fires that have been smothered by sand. Beach fires are also a risk to ecologically-sensitive plants and trees in the area, and pose a risk to nearby homes. In addition, attending to beach fires uses our fire fighters’ time and can lengthen their response time to other calls in the community.We thank the public for their understanding and commitment to our community’s safety.
To contact the fire department, please see: https://www.centralsaanich.ca/fire
