Since the start of the pandemic, Langley has had a major problem with folks setting off fireworks around major holidays, especially Canada Day, Halloween, and New Year’s Eve.
In the absence of anything better to do, people took to local parks and vacant areas, and started firing Roman candles into the air, without permits nor safety training. Despite the fact that the pandemic has ebbed and we can all go out now, the problem has persisted.
Our local firefighters don’t need this headache.
For those who haven’t noticed, it’s very dry out there. Every summer now tends towards the extremely dry, and our heat waves, with temperatures above 30°C, are also frequent.
That means that a stray firework, or a dropped cigarette, or a poorly thought-out backyard campfire cookout, can cause a serious problem.
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Local firefighters and other first responders must already deal many serious issues.
There are medical calls, everything from heart attacks to kids who’ve fallen out of a tree and broken their arm. There are car crashes – more and more of them, too, as our population grows. There are actual fires, in houses, job sites, industrial operations, and in vehicles.
We’ve seen a number of fires this year that were uncomfortably close to large human populations, from the Fraser Valley right out to Horseshoe Bay on the North Shore.
We live close to the woods. Even those of us who don’t live near the real wilderness are often close to regional parks, wooded acreages, and wide grassy areas.
A fire that got loose in a park or a rural area could threaten hundreds of homes, not to mention wildlife and farm animals.
So everyone who is getting ready for the next round of midnight fireworks in a local park?
Cool it.
– M.C.