RDOS Director Allan Patton gave notice at a Board Meeting today that he intends to stop, limit or heavily regulate fireworks after a small fire threatened two homes recently in the Fairview Heights area.

Patton had met with representatives of the Town, local fire department and Fairview site landowners to hear their concerns and ideas on how to limit access to crown land that is often used by campers and visitors just off Knippelberg Rd.  On September 2, young people caused a grass fire with firecrackers. They did call authorities and no charges were laid say police.

Patton says the RDOS has a bylaw onfireworks/firecrackers in certain areas and he will seek to include Area C in the bylaw.

On another matter the RDOS board put some teeth into its control of smoke emitting devices with the support of Bylaw #2445 (Wood Heating Smoke Control Service Establishment Bylaw).

This bylaw allows the Regional District to attempt to control smoky appliances if a complaint is made. Comments at the board table indicated that clean and dry burning wood is not a problem in modern heaters. Old appliances burning green wood can be a problem with the smell of smoke travelling for miles.

OK Falls Director Tom Siddon, speaking about a recent fire between his community and Oliver reflected on the problem that Peachland had – jurisdictional issues and and response times. Siddon says he wants a future meeting to ensure that we don’t have that problem in the RDOS.

Respond and fight the fire – worry about who gets billed later appeared to the thrust of the message.