Brief campfire PSA - look up before you light up!

[tonydca]

The parent and EE in me wants to get on a soapbox for a moment, so please bear with me if this is common sense to you already.

Me and the clan were up past Squamish today harvesting a "doomed" tree for Xmas. These are trees that grow on the right-of-way under the hi voltage power lines.

Not only are they nice and round since they grow out in the open away from their taller neighbours, but once they reach a certain height, Hydro crews cut them down anyways so they will pose no future threat to the power lines. Hence the closet environmentalist in me feels like we're not murdering a future 1000-year-old oxygen factory for Santa.

Anyhoo - we find a nice little area in the open under the lines with plenty of trees to choose from, and lo-and-behold, there is evidence of recent camping activity including the ever-present campfire circle.

I ask my kids if this is a good place to build a fire, and they reply "Yes - it's away from all the bigger trees and would be easier to contain if it got out of hand. Plus there's a little stream nearby" (there was.)

I said - "Yep - that's what whoever built it probably thought too". Then we watched this little clip when we got home:



And that's without the benefits of soot particles from a fire to help conduct the electricity. Seriously - this really kills people every year.

So anytime you're out camping and feel the urge to make a campfire in the nice clearing thoughtfully provided by Hydro; maybe think twice.

[bassnailer]

Thanks for the psa. I just got my permit today and I'm heading up tomorrow with wife and kid in tow to harvest one "doomed" tree as well. I'll be thoughtful about where I start a fire.