According to the Revelstoke Fire Department, in spite of a severe wildfire season across B.C., the third worst on record in terms of area burned, the impact on Revelstoke wasn’t drastically different compared to other years.
Over the summer season, from July to September, the fire department received 103 calls, four of which were structure fires or related to structure fires.
According to Revelstoke fire chief Steven DeRousie, two of the four structure fires reported this season were significant.
One of the structure fires was cause due to ‘carelessly discarded smoking materials’, he said.
READ MORE: No injuries in house fire on Moss St.
The other was a result of an electrical malfunction.
“I think it’s important for people to take fire safety seriously,” said DeRousie. “Even though Revelstoke was not affected directly by the surrounding wildfires, our health was directly impacted by the amount of smoke in the air. Even outdoors people need to be careful and consider what they’re doing.”
The fire department is urging renters in the community to purchase tenant insurance in case of an emergency.
DeRousie said one of the things that made the season feel more severe was periods of extreme temperatures and dryness.
“From my perspective, I think it was very similar to other years when you look at the average,” said DeRousie. “It’s consistent with what we’ve seen in previous five and 10 year periods.”
Temperatures reached heights of 49.6 Celsius over the summer season.
Other calls over the summer included: 23 calls related to fire alarms, 15 motor vehicle incidents, 28 calls related to medical interventions, 9 public service calls, and 1 downed power line.
There was only one evacuation order due to wildfires in the area surrounding Revelstoke, at Three Valley Lake Chateau, outside of the fire department’s jurisdiction.
To report a fire outside of city boundaries, the fire department urges people to call the BC Wildfire Service.
For more information on fire safety visit www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management/fire-safety.
READ MORE: ‘Revelstokians who want to help Revelstoke’: Fire Department recruiting volunteers
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