THIS year's long, hot summer may mean a quiet Halloween in West Vancouver.
Due to the high risk of fire, fireworks may be deemed illegal in West Vancouver this October, according to Fire Chief Jim Cook.
The district normally allows adults to light poppers, strobes and other fireworks on private property between Oct. 24 and 31 if they have obtained a permit, but the abundance of dry vegetation may make this year too dangerous, according to Cook.
"In some of the areas we're still in extreme risk in terms of forest fire danger . . . just because of how dry it's been. We've only had a few millimetres of rain, I understand, from July onwards."
Projectile fireworks, such as Roman candles, are a frequent culprit in October fires, according to Cook. "We have had occasions in dry spells where it seems that every piece of fireworks that hits a hedge caught the hedge on fire," said Cook. "There's a few types of fireworks that actually fly for a distance and then explode. Anything like that, that would find its way into a hedge, or a tree, or a dry area before it completely burned out; the chances of it starting a fire are quite high."
It is illegal to point fireworks at people, animals, buildings, or hedges in West Vancouver.
If the temperatures dips and the rain drops, the district will issue fireworks permits beginning Oct. 24, but the rain must be substantial, according to Cook.
"Even with a light rainfall we'll still see dryness in the trees and the hedges. It won't change in terms of risk. We're going to need a fair amount of rain," he said. "If the fire rating drops down to a low, we would be back to what we would call normal conditions and we would carry on with the fireworks, selling permits and allowing people to light them off."
Permits cost $5 and are available from Monday to Friday between 8: 30 a.m. and 4: 30 p.m. at the fire hall located at 760 16th Street.
It is illegal to use fireworks in any public place in West Vancouver. Fines for improper use of fireworks range between $500 and $2,000.
There are currently no authorized fireworks retailers in West Vancouver, but fireworks can be purchased on Squamish Nation lands or at Thomas FX in the District of North Vancouver, beginning Oct. 25.
District of North Vancouver residents can buy a permit from North Shore fireworks vendors or from the fire department for $2.
It is legal to buy fireworks in the District of North Vancouver between Oct. 25 and 31, with a cutoff at 9 p.m. on Halloween night. Fireworks can only be discharged in the district between six p.m. and midnight on Oct. 31.
Fans of pyrotechnics are reminded to never modify fireworks, to avoid areas with combustible materials such as leaves or paper, and to soak fireworks in water before throwing them away.
Fireworks are only legal in the City of North Vancouver as part of a public display under the supervision of a certified fireworks supervisor.
Selling fireworks in the city is illegal.
