Editor:
The real story is not that a house burned three years ago and an inexperienced volunteer fireman was traumatized and created all kinds of drama accomplishing nothing.
The real story is that the Tri-Cities are surrounded by parks and a massive amount of timber. The real story is that the Tri-Cities expect the first line of defence to be the volunteer fire departments of two small villages.
Yeah, villages - they are not even big enough to be a town. Parks where Vancouverites flock and throw their cigarettes butts and hot embers from their barbecues that the park department allows at Belcarra Picnic Park. Right beside our residents’ homes.
I have found large branches that were burned that “visitors” have used for flashlights on the Jug Island trail just like in Beauty and the Beast.
The real question is not "does Belcarra have enough water to put out a house fire” - the real question is why are our neighbouring cities leaving this all up to us?
That’s your real story. You should be using pictures of trees burning now, not houses burning from three years ago.
Julie Chamberlain, Belcarra
