And into the fire, I’m reunited
Into the fire, I am the spark
Into the night, I yearn for comfort
—Sarah McLachlan
We’re looking out across the lake on the night of the aurora borealis, the landscape dimly lit by celestial colour and starlight. One by one, the beach fires light up—ignited by fellow skygazers drawn to the wonder of this rare display. One at the Comox Bluffs. Another one that looks close to the bridge near the BC Hydro dam, then another at Whytes Bay, away from the cabins, where the off-road trails meet the lake. Then two at Coal Beach.
The flames look beautiful, their amber glow reflecting against the blackness of the lake. “Should we call someone?” I ask half-heartedly. “Hmm. I don’t know. Is there a fire ban yet?” my friend replies.
Between the two of us, we really should know the answer to these questions. That fact that we don’t is indicative of the fractured landscape in front of us. Whose land is it? What’s allowed? Does it matter? What’s the actual risk of a beach fire? People have been doing this for generations! We live in a rainforest, right?
Comox Lake Watershed Protection Plan
The reality is that a major fire in the Comox Lake watershed would have serious consequences for our community, both ecologically and for the critical infrastructure we rely on to ensure our drinking water is safe and clean. The most recent update to the Comox Lake Watershed Protection Plan identifies fire as the number-one risk to the health of our watershed. Longer, drier summers; lower snowpack; and generations of industrial forestry, fuel loading, and fire suppression have had cumulative impacts. Climate change has arrived in the watershed. Whether it’s sparks from an off-road vehicle, an abandoned beach fire, or an increasingly common lightning strike, it’s a tinderbox out there ready to ignite.
Add to this the hunger of residents and visitors to find “blue space” to recreate in. We seek beaches, swimming spots, and off-road routes in a landscape where most of the land is private and access is limited. From grad parties to dirt biking, we seek out vulnerable places, away from main roads, out of cell range. We do it on purpose. We want to escape. But in doing so we put our community at risk.
On summer evenings, as the sun sets and the air cools, the winds come down from the Vancouver Island Ranges and blow east. Any fires, even small ones, left smoldering can reignite as they devour the wind. It happened last summer on the lake’s edge, late on a hot July night. Cumberland Fire Rescue responded heroically. If it had gotten into the trees, who knows how far it would have travelled.
The forested front lines of climate change
We need to talk about wildfire as a community. We need to understand how the landscape is changing in the forests that border our communities in the Comox Valley and on eastern Vancouver Island. We live on the forested front lines of climate change. We also need to learn to think like embers, understand how they travel, and appreciate their power to transform our world.
We need to have these conversations when the rain is falling and the forests are green. We need to get to know each other now, so when (not if) we’re faced with flames, we have relationships and knowledge to support our resilience.
Collaboration is crucial
There is incredible collaboration happening right now between BC wildland and structure firefighters, emergency services, and emergency management in response to the changing wildfire landscape. But every single one of us has a role to play during wildfire season, including residents and visitors. Now is a great time to figure out what that is.
It turns out, no matter the time of year, fires outside of controlled fire rings are not allowed anywhere in the Comox Lake watershed. By the time this goes to print I promise I’ll know exactly what we’re supposed to do when we see a beach fire light up across the lake. I’ll know who to call, and I’ll make sure I spread the word. Like wildfire.
