‘Unbelievably stupid’: Nanaimo mayor slams group who set off fireworks, caused fire in park
Posted July 15, 2024 2:57 pm.
Despite repeated warnings and a full campfire ban in place across B.C., it appears some people continue to ignore just how tinder dry conditions are.
In Nanaimo, Mayor Leonard Krog says fireworks were set off by a group of young people over the weekend, sparking a fire in Pipers Lagoon Park, a beloved and ecologically sensitive space in the community.
“The fireworks caused a fire that severely damaged the underbrush on the first islet,” he told CityNews.
He’s not mincing words about how he feels about the behaviour displayed Friday night, saying he’s “absolutely frustrated that anyone of any age would be stupid enough” to do something like this during wildfire season.
“It’s unbelievably stupid, self-centred. My sincere hope is that the perpetrators are charged and prosecuted accordingly.”
The Nanaimo RCMP tells CityNews there were between 150 and 200 people in the park when the fireworks were set off. It notes it’s working to determine whether there’s enough evidence to recommend charges.
Meanwhile, Krog says the layout of the eight-hectare park, which has spits running into the sea, means firefighters faced some challenges getting to the scene.
While they were able to put the flames out, he admits this could have resulted in catastrophe.
“I have spoken to people who live in the area and saw the fire. They were frightened and astonished that this would happen. What I don’t understand is why the kids themselves, as soon as the fire started, didn’t take some significant efforts to try to put the fire out,” explained Krog.
Given rising temperatures, a lack of moisture, and increasingly dry conditions, the province — save for Haida Gwaii — is under a full campfire ban. The ban also prohibits things like fireworks in an effort to lessen the risk of human-caused fires.
Krog says it’s the responsibility of all British Columbians to be fire smart, especially considering past wildfire seasons.
“If you actually see the site, you realize how significant the site is itself from an ecological perspective, and how dangerous it was to have fireworks or any open fires or anything of that nature near there, with that much ground fuel available for ignition,” he said.
“Wake up British Columbians. The damage that has been done to this province by fires in the last few years is significant. We have burned hundreds of thousands of hectares of land, city parks are under threat now because of the stupidity of some people.”
