The cool and rain of Wednesday let my entire nervous system settle. It has begun to feel as if our entire planet is inflamed and feverish, if not actually on fire, on the verge of it.

In Tuesday’s update on the Bendor Range Wildfire Complex from BC Wildfire (https://www.slrd.bc.ca/sites/default/files/23%2071W24KA%20Community%20Bulletin%20AUG%2022%201649%201535.pdf) (which gets posted to the SLRD’s page at https://www.slrd.bc.ca/inside-slrd/spotlight/eoc-level-three-evacuation-order-and-alerts-place), we are reminded that the wildfire situation is still very much at play – so, a reminder not to let a few raindrops make you think it’s okay to have a campfire, or but out your cigarette in a planter or a garbage bin. (Those mediums will not smother a fire. They will fuel it.)

In the last 24 hours, a planter outside the Nest and Backcountry Pizza caught fire, and was fortuitously put out by the vigilant and awesome human, Riel Rock. A dumpster behind Walmart in Squamish caught fire. Chief Nelson shared word of a fire up at Joffre. And a car crash near Alice Lake sparked a fire that was put out by a superhuman incredible bus driver with SkyLynx, who apparently sprinted up the road with his bus’ fire extinguisher to put it out before it could get going.

Vigilance and care, friends, is what is required, even as we might enjoy a moment of cool. And possibly a pocket fire extinguisher.

If you see a fire in the wild 
Please call the Wildfire Management Branch at 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on a cell phone. 

Anyone who witnesses a violation of the ORV Act is encouraged to call the Conservation Officer Service and Natural Resource Violations hotline at 1-877-952-7277, or #7277 on your cell phone.