GOLDSTREAM Parent’s anguish
When infants die prematurely, parents can be lost, too Page A3
NEWS GAZETTE
NEWS: Fall scheduled for Belmont teardown /A2 COMMUNITY: Billeting players can be rewarding /A5 SPORTS: Rebels shift from camp to game prep /A23
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Wednesday, July 8, 2015
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Tinder-dry conditions prompt Langford F.D. to host workshops Langford firefighters will teach residents how to Firesmart properties to reduce the risk of fire disaster Don Descoteau News Gazette staff
The absence of significant rain on the South Island for numerous weeks has area fire departments on high alert for brush fires. “I’ve never seen it like this,” said Langford Fire Rescue firefighter and safety inspector Lance Caven. Where normally, brush fires see firefighters from the nearest hall paged to respond, any calls for such incidents are sent out to all three halls, just in case, he said. While his department hasn’t been extra busy responding to such fires, despite the conditions, he says, Langford Fire Rescue is being proactive in encouraging homeowners whose properties back onto wooded areas to attend a July 11 workshop on how to Firesmart their homes. “We want people to be extra diligent given the dry conditions. They have to call right away (if they see fire) because of the aggressive nature of fire,” he said. Aware of the potential for scenarios like the Kelowna fires from a few years back, when wildfires raced along a dry hillside to homes where such
“We want people to be extra diligent given the dry conditions. They have to call right away (if they see fire) because of the aggressive nature of fire.” – Insp. lance Caven langford Fire Rescue combustibles as stacked wood and dry leaves sat nearby, the department will teach residents about removing potential fire interfaces and reducing the risk of disaster. Firefighters will provide such strategies as cutting off the lower branches of trees closest to the house, to help prevent ground fires from racing up a tree and being blown in the direction of your roof. “A lot of it is about landscaping, and keeping your lot clean and free of debris,” Caven says. Two Firesmart sessions are being offered this Saturday at the No. 1 hall at Peatt Road and Veteran’s Memorial Parkway, one at 10 a.m. and another at 2 p.m. Both sessions are free. PlEASE SEE: Heat causes havoc, Page A4
Don Descoteau/News Gazette staff
High flyer Rachel Bricknell with the Westshore Rebels cheer squad gets some hang time courtesy of teammates Ashley Penney, Breanna Durham, and Katelyn Mielke, who tossed her in the air during a training camp workout at Westhills Stadium. The cheerleaders were practising their drills off the field while the junior football team was on the field doing training camp drills. See page A23 for story.
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We hate to sound like hotshots, but to do the best job you need the best equipment. Like this electronic ionizer gun that blasts away static electricity before painting – so our customers get the smoothest, glossiest paint job this side of a new car showroom. Another reason to set your sights on Craftsman. ®™ Trademark of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under licence by LoyaltyOne, Inc. and Craftsman Collision Ltd.
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