About a dozen fires Port Alberni firefighters have had to tackle in wooded and brushy areas over the past two weeks are suspected to have been intentionally set, says Chief Mike Owens.
Owens said there are no signs the fires are from campers.
“All of the fires that we’ve been having have been human-caused,” Owens said. “We’re treating them as suspicious so we’ve involved the RCMP.”
The most substantial of the fires was Thursday night in Roger Creek Park — one of the greenbelts that runs through the city — and came close to the Echo Aquatic and Fitness Centre, Owens said.
The fire department responded to a call about smoke in the area around 10 p.m. and found a fire that was about nine metres by 12 metres.
Firefighters had to deal with another fire in a spot right next to it on Monday, Owens said.
The Thursday fire was burning to the treetops but was extinguished in about 90 minutes, he said.
Crews went back Friday morning to check for hotspots.
The lack of rain in the area has led to an extreme fire danger rating for a number of weeks, said Owens, noting there is no rain in the forecast.
He thanked those who have called in reports of smoke and fires early, allowing firefighters to “get a good jump on them.”
