SONJA DRINKWATER
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS
The Sproat Lake Volunteer Fire Department, along with all of the other Alberni Valley fire departments, gathered at the Sproat Lake Community Hall on Saturday, May 4 to teach the public how to keep homes safer from fire.
Firefighters showed one area that was cleared of undergrowth. It took 200 man-hours to clear the area, filling a 40-yard bin with mulch, and volunteers even found a train axel.
Larry Ransom gave demos for attaching sprinklers to your eavestroughs. The sprinkler systems are for sale through the SLVFD and include two sprinklers, two wall brackets and two 25-foot-long forestry-grade hoses. The system is designed to keep your home wet in the event of a forest fire.
Pocket size ashtrays were handed out. These are reusable and aim to keep people from throwing their lit cigarette butts out of vehicle windows.