Dump Runz donates bins for Canadian Lakeview Estates combustible cleanup

Photo: Contributed

A Vernon company is donating the use of bins in Canadian Lakeview Estates to allow residents to remove combustible material and lessen the risk of fire.

The neighbourhood at the far end of Tronson Road and directly across Okanagan Lake from where the White Rock Lake wildfire raged for much of the summer was on evacuation alert for weeks.

“During the fire itself, we received numerous calls from ... residents asking us to remove woodpiles and other flammables from the area,” says company owner Scott Anderson. “Instead of trying to profit from misfortune, we’ve decided to help out the residents by offering this free service.”

In consultation with the CLE Homeowner’s Association and the City of Vernon, four large brush bins will be deployed Friday evening and will be picked up Sept. 21.

If the bins are filled before pick-up time, Dump Runz will empty and return them if needed.

The bins will be deployed at:

• 40 Kestrel Place
• Phoenix Estates 9126 Tronson Rd.
• Garmish Estates(end of Tronson Rd)
• 83 Peregrine Way

The goal is to reduce the fuel load in one of the most wooded and exposed areas of Vernon. During the height of the White Rock Lake fire, residents reported live embers landing amongst the houses, leaving burn marks on decks, and burning holes through tarps.

Vernon Fire Chief David Lind says it's important to reduce ground fuels and make yards as fire safe as possible.

Lind said a minimum 1.5 metre non-combustible surface should extend around the entire home and any attachments, such as decks.

The area within 10 metres of a home should be a fire-resistant zone, free of all materials that could easily ignite.

Regular clean up of fallen branches, dry grass and needles to eliminate surface fuels is recommended.

Anderson applauds other companies that have stepped up to help residents and firefighters during the fire, and hopes that Vernon will begin to actively seek the help of local companies in times of emergency.

“Community is important, and our local businesses form the backbone of our community. They are a vast and largely untapped resource that the city should make use of, whether for emergencies like fire or to help with the cost of local events,” said Anderson, who is also a city councillor.