The Qualicum Beach Fire Department is urging people to be safe after a fire broke out in the Heritage Forest in Qualicum Beach Tuesday (July 11) evening.
The Qualicum Beach, Parksville and Coombs-Hilliers departments were called to the forest for a fire that was about six metres by six metres.
According to a Facebook post from the Qualicum Beach department, the fire was quickly extinguished.
“We want people to enjoy the forests but please be careful and refrain from smoking or using open flame within our forests,” the post said.
Fire chief Darryl Kohse told The NEWS the Qualicum Beach Fire Department will be conducting summer fire patrols on foot and in the trucks.
“We have members that are going to be doing weekend patrols to ensure our infrastructure is taken care of and that people aren’t walking through our forests with cigarettes hanging out and having campfires that are illegal,” Kohse said.
“So watch for them in the community. They’ll be out in one of our trucks and just going to all of our local hot spots where kids like to hang out and just doing some trail walking just to make sure people are being safe.”
— NEWS Staff