Consider it a final warning…
The city of Kamloops says starting June 1, people who are found lighting bonfires and campfires within city limits – including at Cooney Bay – will be fined a minimum of $500.
Asst. Chief of Operations Ryan Cail says on sunny weekends, thousands of people head towards Cooney Bay and the mouth of the Tranquille River at Kamloops Lake, with beach fires a regular occurrence there.
Both KFR and BC Wildfire Service responding to several fires in that part of the city every year, taking away resources from other potential emergencies elsewhere.
“The risks of having an open flame, on a beach or any property, is very high in our region and climate,” Cail said. “As the temperature rises, so does the fire danger rating, and the brush around a beach area can be very flammable.”
To get to Cooney Bay, people have to cross private property owned by Tranquille Farms’, with Cail noting that access can be revoked if the owners are concerned about the fire activity.
“As increased fire activity raises concerns for the historic property, the property owners have the right to revoke this privilege to safeguard their assets,” he said.
For the next few days, people found lighting bonfires and campfires will be given warning tickets to educate them about the bylaws that prohibit open fires within Kamloops city limits including on public beaches near Riverside Park and Overlander Park.
“Our goal is to educate residents who are not aware of the risks and of the bylaw infraction when having a fire on the beach,” Cail added. “We are responsible for protecting our residents, and we need to ensure our resources are available for emergency events. Brush fires that we attend at Cooney Bay and other areas are typically 100 per cent preventable.”
Kamloops Fire and Rescue’s Fire and Life Safety Educator Jamie Chase told NL News if people want to have a fire within city limits, it has to be in a propane fire pit.
“Those are absolutely fine. People still need to follow all of the safety guidelines and the manuals from those things, and be aware that it is fire and it can set nearby things on fire if you’re not using it properly,” he added. “Yeah, those are completely legal and great things for people to have.”
Outside of the city limits, he says as long as people are responsible, they can have small campfires.
“As long as thy take the proper steps to build a campfire safety that is a reasonable size, and they’ve got the equipment there to put it out and no leave it burning when they leave, its a great thing to be doing right now,” Chase added.
“But everyone needs to be aware of the potential for that to turn into a big wildfire.”
(Photo via City of Kamloops showing the aftermath of a fire at Cooney Bay on April 1.)
