Talk from worried neighbours about closing Thetis Lake Regional Park due to extremely dry conditions and a recent wildfire there may be understandable, but View Royal Fire Chief Paul Hurst said keeping it open and having people keep watch in the area makes the most sense.
He said the park was closed at times in the summer about 30 years ago when the City of Victoria was in charge of it “but the challenge is logistically it’s impossible to manage.”
“There’s so many entry points and there’s not enough staff to actually monitor the people coming and going.”
Hurst said that when the park was closed in the past there tended to be fires that went undetected because there was no one around to spot them.
“I’d much rather have the park full of responsible people than have it empty,” he said.
People who are going to smoke in the park or have a campfire don’t care and will do what they want no matter what, Hurst said.
“I can’t protect the park from stupid.”
But most visitors love the park “and I would think they would tend to call out people behaving badly,” he said. Besides, Thetis Lake park is one of many in the region that can raise similar concerns, Hurst said.
The park is under the authority of the Capital Regional District, and spokesperson Andy Orr said the organization is taking the dry conditions very seriously and there’s “zero tolerance for any activities within regional parks that could lead to wildfire.”
“Closing parks as a preventative measure can be considered when the CRD issues alerts or orders in collaboration with local or provincial emergency agencies,” he said. “At this time, the situation in relation to wildfire risk continues to be monitored and appropriate action will be taken if and when it is necessary, in collaboration with partner agencies.”
Orr said that the CRD has rangers making daily patrols in its parks when conditions are dry. Rangers and bylaw officers uphold restrictions on smoking and campfires, and check for illegal camping, he said. “The busiest regional parks are generally patrolled and/or staffed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” Orr said.
He said that CRD parks are “essential public spaces, especially during the summer months.”
“They provide crucial and equitable access to community amenities like shade and swimming areas, and are vital areas for respite from extreme-heat conditions.”
Orr said that the CRD has agreements with B.C. Wildfire Service and municipal fire departments to respond to wildfires in regional parks.
“CRD staff are also available to attend and assist with fire mop-up and post-fire monitoring in the event of a fire within a park.”
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