“Every fire is preventable.”
This is the message Richmond Fire-Rescue’s Fire Chief Jim Wishlove is repeatedly telling the public as bushfires locally and wildfires in the Interior continue to rage across B.C.
In the past two months, Richmond has seen several bushfires that are very preventable, according to Wishlove.
“Most fires, if not all fires, happen because somebody forgets to do something, doesn’t follow a manufacturer’s recommendations or somebody does something on purpose that either leads to or creates an issue where a fire will start,” he said.
Wishlove added that improper cigarette disposal, barbecues, equipment or machinery that causes sparks are all common examples that can start fires in dry, brush areas.
“Those are preventable in my opinion and just by being aware and diligent, people who are doing that kind of activity can ensure that the fire does not start.
“Putting out the fire is our job and we do come out and put them out, but my preference would be that (fires) don’t start to begin with. “
When asked if the upcoming cooler temperatures and rain in the forecast will help prevent more brushfires, Wishlove said it takes more than a day or two of rain to achieve that outcome.
“It takes about seven to 10 days and nights of straight rain to prevent the ground from being at risk of fires spreading quickly.”
The ground is so dry right now that, when a bucket of water is poured onto it, the water will either “run off or drain through quickly and become dry again,” explained Wishlove.
“We need some significant rain over several days for that to change the conditions in Richmond and across the province,” he said.
Sparks and wind are also a terrible combination in the dry environment when it comes to fires spreading from one area to another, he added.
Wishlove told the Richmond News the wind often picks up sparks or embers and carries them to another spot and lights another fire.
“Those are the kinds of conditions that are creating problems up in the Interior and the mass amount of damage and that’s what I’m concerned about here,” he said.
“Every fire is preventable and it’s a lot of pressure to put on everybody, but for people to really be careful and think about what they’re doing is my ask.”
RFR has also discovered a few houses and residences do not have smoke detectors in their living space in Richmond.
“It’s concerning to me how many fires and residences that we are attending that don’t have smoke alarms in them,” said Wishlove.
“That’s really your first line of defence of escaping early during a fire event.”
