by Catharine Fraser-Mairo
Campfire Burns Out Of Control — OVFD’s Rapid Response Prevents Spread
At approximately 9pm on Wednesday, July 16, Oxford first responders were called to a campfire burning out of control. Located between the George Henley Memorial Baseball field and the Water Treatment Plant Lagoon (aka Sewer Lagoon), it was started by several young people and dry conditions caused them to quickly lose control of it. According to first responders at the scene, those who set the fire did not remain at the scene.
Fortunately, the fire was extinguished and there was little damage to the surrounding area with no injuries. The Oxford Volunteer Fire Department then used a drone to check for any existing hot spots. Fire Chief Bruce Rushton says the call came in at 9:06pm as a potential structure fire:
“We had our first truck out the door within 6 minutes. Mutual Aid dispatched automatically from Pugwash, Springhill, and Collingwood. Deputy Chief Kyle Purdy went directly to the scene and found it was a woods fire. Once our crews made an initial knockdown and had control of the fire, all mutual aid was canceled. The fire covered an area approximately 100 ft x 100 ft. Our crew made quick work of extinguishing the fire and keeping it from spreading.”
All four of the OVFD’s trucks were on-scene, given that conditions are extremely dry and hazardous. Rushton says “This could have been much worse if it hadn’t been for the quick and effective response of our volunteer firefighters. We remained on scene for a bit to ensure there were no flare-ups. We were back at the station, cleaned up, reloaded and ready for service around 22:30 last night.”
Chief Rushton says RCMP and the Department of Natural Resources were both notified and are looking into the fire. Given the conditions, the fire could easily have spread to encompass the entire wooded area, potentially threatening the sewage treatment plant and South Side residences.
This is a good time to remind everyone it is wildfire season. Small fires can quickly become large fires and our province is comprised of 75% forests. We are presently under a complete fire ban. Please also keep this in mind when tempted to smoke in the forest. Partially-extinguished cigarette butts are to blame for many dangerous fires.
No domestic brush burning or campfires are allowed between 8:00 am and 2:00 (you also need to follow municipal bylaws for your area). Burn restrictions are updated daily at 2:00 pm at https://novascotia.ca/burnsafe
To report a wildfire or violations of the fire restrictions, call 1-800-565-2224 or 911.
The fine for violating daily burn restrictions is $25,000.
The Oxford Volunteer Fire Department Association‘s fundraising efforts have benefitted greatly from the Nova Scotia Firefighters’ 50/50 draw, recently spending $35,000 to further outfit the department’s new truck. That new apparatus, purchased in November of last year, was made possible in part by a $100,000 contribution by the association to complement the $1,000,000 from town coffers.
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