Severe drought conditions.
Extreme fire hazard rating.
A wildfire near his Okanagan Landing home Sunday, July 9, that he’s sure was human-caused.
It’s all enough for Vernon Coun. Brian Quiring to go back to the future, and ask his colleagues to place warning signs leading toward Ellison Provincial Park in the Landing.
The signs, he said, would serve as a reminder to motorists and residents how tinder dry the forests and grasslands are, and to not discard cigarette butts from their vehicles.
“We did it a few years ago, we put up signs saying ‘Don’t throw your cigarette butts out the window or we’ll be coming for you,’” said Quiring, whose motion to erect the illuminated signs on 25th Avenue and Okanagan Landing Road heading toward Ellison Park was unanimously supported (Coun. Akbal Mund was serving as acting mayor with Victor Cumming away from Monday’s regular meeting July 17).
The signs, said Vernon director of operation services James Rice, would cost in the neighbourhood of $5,000. Mund said the signs could be funded from the city’s uncommitted funds from 2022.
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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