Western N.L. fire chief calls 'intentionally set' fire heart-sickening

Firefighters on the west coast of Newfoundland responded to a fire they say was deliberately set on Wednesday, and one fire chief is worried the area wouldn't be able to handle a situation where a blaze could quickly spread.

St. George's Fire Department fire Chief Nikkia O'Brien said her team was called to a fire by residents who spotted high flames and smoke down a small lane in the community.

"It was definitely intentionally set," she told CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning.

"In the area that it was, it was not possible to set accidentally the way it was burnt."

O'Brien can't say why the fire might have been set, but speculates it could have been bored children who didn't realize the danger or someone who thought they were cleaning up the brush.

She said the fire was down a small side lane where people have been dumping various wooden items that should have been brought to the dump.

"One of our firefighters used to walk the trail every week and they'd seen it growing," said O'Brien, "'You watch,' he said, 'Somebody's going to set that afire.'"

O'Brien said it's not only the fire they have to deal with when on a scene, but also the smoke. Weather conditions were in their favour because the wind wasn't blowing strong.

Firefighters were able to get three hoses blasting water on the flames, said O'Brien. Given the dry conditions, she said the fire could have easily spread and reached nearby homes.

"It could have been a really bad situation," she said.

'Hits you right in the gut'

O'Brien said seeing fires still being set, despite a provincewide fire ban, is "heart sickening" and scary because people don't realize how quickly fire can travel.

"We've responded quite a bit since the fire ban was on to people having fires and that. And thank God, everybody's been good to get along with," she said. "But it hits you right in the gut."

She said there are currently several fires burning across Newfoundland, with three of them burning out of control. She said their resources are focused on eastern and central Newfoundland.

"I'd be scared to death for a while for fire to break [out] on the west coast, because I don't think we have the resources right now," said O'Brien.

The fire ban is in place because the province doesn't want to strain its available resources with more fires, she said.

St. John's Regional Fire Department Platoon Chief Ed Sears said most people seem to be following the fire ban.

"This is very serious and people have to take it seriously. And I do think it's starting to get through to people," he told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show.

Sears said fines for violating the fire ban help act as a deterrence.

This week Premier John Hogan announced the fines for violating are too low and he is moving to increase it, and fines could reach $50,000.

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