Vancouver Island fire department posts video showing how fast human-caused wildfires can spread
A Vancouver Island fire department is reminding British Columbians of the fire risks that are present across the province as wildfires sweep across the Interior and droughts grip parts of Vancouver Island.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Dashwood Fire Department, based out of Qualicum Beach, posted a video online of a small fire spreading quickly through dry grass, saying "one dropped cigarette" is enough to cause a wildfire.
The video was part of a demonstration, which took place outside of the fire department in a controlled location, the department said.
Within seconds, the fire can be seen burning through the patch of grass, with no signs of slowing down.
"This is all it takes to start a wildfire," wrote the fire department in the social media post.
As of Wednesday morning, there were 248 wildfires burning across the province, with 3,375 properties under evacuation orders.
On Tuesday, the Coastal Fire Centre urged residents to obey fire rules after conservation officers noticed a spike in illegal campfires in its jurisdiction, which includes of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast, Haida Gwaii and parts of the Lower Mainland.
"It's really something we need to nail down and need to make sure everyone's really diligent on as we get into these higher temperatures and even further drier conditions headed to the long weekend," said Matt Bell with the Coastal Fire Centre.
Bell added that a provincewide campfire ban has been in place since late June in B.C., and that conservation officers are immediately handing out $1,150 fines whenever they spot a campfire.
On Wednesday morning, Environment Canada posted heat warnings for parts of Vancouver Island, the southern Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast.
Heat warnings are in effect on eastern Vancouver Island, and special weather statements related to heat have been issued for the rest of the island, including Greater Victoria.
The high temperatures are expected to begin Wednesday and last until Sunday, with temperatures reaching 30 C in eastern Vancouver Island, and the high 20s to low 30s in Greater Victoria.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.