Monday, August 2, 2010

Where There's Smoking, There's Fire

JULY WAS RAINLESS in southwest BC and in other areas of the province. Current dry conditions continue to create an extreme risk of forest fires during August. Campfires and smoking are banned in many public places. In fact, smoking is banned in most parkland areas, although you wouldn't know it by the cigarette butts that I see scattered everywhere on my walks.

It is not uncommon to see butts littering pathways and roadsides. It makes me wonder how many fires are caused by folks who smoke when walking through wooded pathways or who toss cigarette butts out of car windows. It seemed okay in the Bogart and Bette Davis era when people apparently didn’t know any better. Throwing a smoldering cigarette dramatically to the ground was cool then. But seeing people suspend logic about where their deadly sparks might fly during recent times really burns me up. People can learn more about fire prevention and camping etiquette in BC here.

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8 comments:

  1. I volunteer for park cleanup and last weekend I picked up a lot of butts :(

    www.ewok1993.wordpress.com

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  2. I hear ya! Campfires are banned during daylight hours here at the moment but I saw two yesterday. Not EVERYONE is listening!

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  3. You have hit on my top pet peeve. Thank you for another timely, and possibly life-saving post.

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  4. It's upsetting to see all the cigarette butts. I am a former smoker but when I smoked I never left butts. I had one of those ashtrays that fit in your pocket with a top. I'm so glad I quit smoking but even when I did smoke it made me mad to see butts lying around.

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  5. A very timely post as this province is in a very conbustible state. Even the wet misty islands of Haida Gwaii are bone dry. Thanks for stopping by.
    Smiles
    P.S. Believe me not all my neighbours are knowledgeable!!!!

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  6. it's a shame that some people don't pay attention until something bad happen to them.

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  7. Hi Penelope -- this reminds me of a time when I still smoked, but never threw away live butts, and some so-called "friends" of mine would ride in my car, with the ashtray in plain sight, and throw burning butts out the window -- in the dry interior of BC, in the hot summer. You can well imagine the hissy fits I had. Sometimes I threatened to throw the smoker out along with the butt, but no one ever took my threats seriously. I wish I'd had the courage of my convictions.

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  8. All this post makes me think of is Smokey the Bear, though I bet you didn't have him up in Canada, so this might be a boring reference!

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