Nanaimo Fire Rescue are asking everyone, particularly smokers, to be careful amid tinder-dry conditions which have seen a jump in the number of brush fires through the city. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

butt out

Dry weather, careless actions causing spike in Nanaimo brush fire frequency

Jul 18, 2025 | 1:33 PM

NANAIMO — Amid the hot and dry weather conditions currently affecting much of the region, residents are being reminded to be fire safe.

This warning comes after the province is calling for voluntary water conservation this summer due to drought-like conditions, with the Coastal Fire Centre issuing a total ban on fires starting at noon on Thursday, July 17.

Nanaimo Fire Rescue (NFR) deputy chief Stuart Kenning said heat caused by a gas-powered device or an errant cigarette butt tossed from a vehicle’s window could easily lead to a brush fire.

“The hot and dry conditions do make the threat of wildfire and bushfires higher. We’re at about a seasonal average right now.”

According to their incident reports, NFR has responded to at least 21 calls for brush fires in July alone.

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Kenning said the most common cause of these incidents in Nanaimo is smoking, whether an improperly disposed of cigarettes or related to unhoused individuals.

“In the city, we don’t typically get too many brush or wildland fires. We have lots of engines and we can get there quickly and usually catch them before they grow too big.”

Using the dirt in an outdoor plant should also not be used as an ashtray, as they contain organic material which can dry out and lead to a fire spark.

“The number one thing is to extinguish any smoking materials properly and fully,” Kenning said. “Make sure it’s…in an approved container only. And just be cautious out there, report any signs of smoke or smell of smoke right away, and we’ll respond to it.”

He also urges caution for anyone working outdoors with any gas-powered equipment or heavy-duty machinery, with the recent wildfire near Lytton sparked by a wheel falling off an RCMP trailer.

With fire bans in place due to the hot and dry weather, Nanaimo Fire Rescue is reminding residents to be cautious to avoid accidentally sparking a bushfire. (Nanaimo RCMP)

Unfortunately, not all fires are started by accident.

The Nanaimo RCMP and NFR responded to a cedar planter box on fire on the porch of a Kennedy St. residence on Sunday, July 13, after an unknown male set it ablaze.

It was around midnight when the homeowner noticed the flames and tried to put it out themselves before calling 911.

NFR attended and prevented further damage to the home’s exterior, while a neighbour’s surveillance camera captured the fire and the male suspect.

He’s described as wearing a light-coloured shirt, dark knee-length shorts, dark shoes, and a backpack.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345, file number: 2023-21804.

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