Re fire department

Robert Craigue | Nov 14, 2018

The Sharbot Lake Fire Department embarrasses self by extinguishing 3 small fires in no danger of escape.

On October 24 the Sharbot Lake Fire Department responded with the Deputy Fire Chief Jamie Riddell and 3 firefighters and a pumper to 3 small fires on my property on the 509 highway. The day before I took out a permit to burn brush piles as the fire ban was off, the temperature forecast was 3C and no wind. The fires were in the open with no material to burn other than the piles. They burned well and next morning at 7:30am I assessed that 2 were completely out and one had a hot spot. I decided that by replying by hand and using a rake I could build 3 piles no larger than 3'X3', entirely within the previously burned area, which I did and lit them and let them burn knowing by noon that they would be burned out. These are piles that were of a size that if I had a hot dog on a stick I would have been legal on the bylaw or if I waited until 2 hours before sundown to light would have met the bylaw's ridiculous requirements.

Someone saw the smoke and decided that I was in contravention of the bylaw, they won't admit who made the complaint. I hope it isn't someone that would benefit by sending the fire department out to extinguish these fires at my expense. I have taken photos of the extinguished fires using an 8‘ 2X4 as a reference for size as well as a photo of the water source I had available if needed. At no time was there any danger of escape and I was present but not sitting on the fire, but was cutting firewood within 100 metes. I urge council to update the bylaw to reflect practical common sense provisions so that this doesn't happen again. When you read the stats of the fire department, you can delete this one as unnecessary.

Sincerely,

Robert Craigue