An overheated barbecue caused a fire scare Wednesday at the Regina Park tent city.
The Saanich Fire Department responded just before 7:30 a.m. after a neighbour saw smoke billowing in the air, said assistant deputy chief Brock Henson.
When firefighters arrived, they found that a camp resident had been cooking on a barbecue when a grease fire broke out.
Firefighters extinguished the flames and warned the resident about the high fire risk due to dry conditions, Henson said.
“We continue to work with them on a daily basis to achieve compliance on fire and life safety issues,” he said.
At a public meeting about the tent city in June, neighbouring residents expressed fears that even a small fire in the park can spread quickly across the dry brush.
The fire department has issued two fire orders, which include directions to keep tents at least a metre apart, keeping tent doors facing an exit lane and a ban on combustible household furniture and smoking in the park.
On July 6, Saanich police arrested camp organizer Chrissy Brett after she allegedly blew an air horn in the ear of a Saanich firefighter during a safety inspection.
On Monday night, Saanich council approved the use of $700,000 from the municipal contingency fund to pay for policing costs at the encampment.
