FIRE BEAT: Grass fires keep firefighters hopping through Easter

By Erin Perkins

Grand Forks has moved rapidly from a damp spring thaw into the dry grass fire season over the past week.

Last weekend the Grand Forks Fire Rescue responded to three grass fires in rural Grand Forks.

The department attended one on a five acre lot, one on a three acre lot and the third on a six acre lot, said Grand Forks Fire Rescue fire chief Dale Heriot.

"People don't realize how dry the grass is," said Heriot.

They'll be burning a pile with no fire guard around it and the next thing you know the fire is into the field and off it goes.

Not only is the grass dry but the slight breezes help to fan a small backyard burn into an out of control grass blaze.

"Once they get going, they go quickly and then a couple of shovels and a hose just won't put it out," said Heriot.

While the fire department quickly extinguished all three grass fires this time around, Heriot advises people to be aware of the rules behind burning in this area.

Backyard burning is only allowed outside city limits. Those fires cannot exceed the size of a pick-up truck bed. Anything bigger than that requires a permit, which is issued by B.C. Forest Service at www.bcwildfire.ca . For a list of fire bans and restrictions go to http://bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNews/Bans.asp .

Some people like to burn fields to bring on better grass growth. Heriot said that is a myth.

"It's better to turn the soil under than burn the field."

For more information about backyard burning contact Grand Forks Fire Rescue at 250-442-3612 or visit their website at www.gffr.ca .

Although burning has not been banned in our region, it has been in the Cariboo already.

Vehicle and garage fire on Covert Road

The Grand Forks Fire Rescue managed to save a garage but not a pick-up truck while responding to a fire on Covert Road in Grand Forks, Wednesday, April 4.

The crew was called out at 10 p.m. when a neighbour saw a 2004 pick-up truck ablaze. It wasn't long before the detached garage it was parked in front of was on fire too.

The garage was saved, but did sustain some damage with charring to the wall studs and into the attic space. The truck was "completely burned up", said Grand Forks Fire Rescue fire chief Dale Heriot

The cause of the fire is underdetermined, although Heriot thinks it may have been electrical.

"It was definetely not arson," he said. Although RCMP did attend to investigate.

Heriot estimates the damage to be about $25,000. Nobody was injured in the incident.