A remote village on northwest Vancouver Island has reactivated its fire department after a surge of volunteers came forward.
Zeballos suspended its fire service on May 31 because the number of volunteers had dropped too low and the fire chief position had been vacant for some time. The village has a population of 126 people living in 71 of its 109 private dwellings, according to the 2022 census.
For four months, residents worried that if a structure fire started, there would be no local response.
In a statement, Zeballos chief administrative officer Pete Nelson-Smith said the village is grateful to the volunteers who came forward to commit to the service. “Without you, the volunteers, Zeballos would have no fire department,” he said.
The village did not say how many volunteers stepped up, but the tipping point to suspend the service last spring came when the number fell below 10, according to residents and business owners.
Port Hardy Fire Chief Brent Borg said fewer than 10 firefighters doesn’t make the service viable in terms of safety of volunteers or liability for the village.
To effectively fight a structure fire, a department needs about 16 firefighters, Borg said.
Armin Gruert was appointed deputy fire chief while Ernie Smith was named captain and Erin Morin takes on the role of risk management officer.
The village said more volunteers are still needed and practices are being held Wednesday evenings at 7.
dkloster@timescolonist.com
