Sicamous Fire Department

Fire Hall

The Sicamous Fire Department provides fire protection, prevention, public education and other related services. The Sicamous Fire Hall is located at 701 Whitehead Street and houses four fire trucks, two Engines, one Tender and one Ladder Truck. The department also has a restored 1928 Gotfredson Fire Truck, the first truck purchased for Sicamous. One of the bays also accommodates the Sicamous Rescue truck. The halls amenities include a training room, activity room, offices, kitchen, showers, sauna and washrooms.

Staffing

  • Full-time Fire Chief (office located at 446 Main Street)
  • Deputy Fire Chief 
  • Captain
  • Lieutenant
  • 15 to 30 paid, on-call volunteer firefighters

Training

The Sicamous Fire Department trains every Tuesday meeting 7 p.m. at the Fire Hall. Training may also take place at the Shuswap Regional Fire Training Center in Salmon Arm. A variety of training topics are covered in-house, while courses such as Live Fire and Emergency Vehicle Driving are covered by accredited training facilities.

All residents are eligible for a free FireSmart Property Assessment by one of our trained fire professionals.

FireSmart is a national program that is focused on reducing property loss and damage due to wildfire. Wildfire is a natural phenomenon that has the potential to be very destructive. Science and research has shown that properties and neighborhoods who prepare in advance of a wildfire have a much greater success of reducing loss.

The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) is funding a wildfire risk reduction project in Sicamous valued at almost $1 Million, to protect high-risk areas outlined in the District's Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). 

The work will better protect important infrastructure like a water reservoir owned by the DOS, as well as vital transportation corridors.

The Outdoor Burning Bylaw ensures fires are burned in a safe and controlled manner, are small enough to easily be extinguished and don’t become a nuisance to neighbouring properties. The Bylaw also prohibits the burning of noxious and toxic materials.

Things to Know:

  • Fires must not be more than one metre in diameter (3.281 ft) or exceed one metre in height (3.281 ft).
  • Burning barrels must be equipped with a spark arrestor to prevent the emission of sparks and ash.
  • Fires must be continuously controlled and supervised by a competent person.

Frequently Asked Questions: 

Am I allowed to burn during a provincial fire ban or restriction? No, the Bylaw is subject to provincial bans and restrictions. Always check BC Wildfire Service for the most up-to-date information for the Kamloops Fire Centre.

Can I burn leaves and yard trimmings? Yes. However, burning is restricted to the first two weeks of April and the last two weeks of October.

How do I prevent my yard-waste fire from smoking? Start your fire with clean seasoned wood to ensure a hot fire and add small amounts of damp materials periodically to keep it hot.

The Fireworks Bylaw regulates the sale, possession and discharge Fireworks within the District of Sicamous. 

Things to Know: 

  • The sale of fireworks is prohibited in the District.
  • The possession of fireworks is prohibited in the District without a current permit.
  • The discharge of fireworks is prohibited in the District without a current permit.
  • A person who contravenes or fails to comply with this bylaw commits an offence and is
    liable upon conviction to the penalties prescribed by the Offence Act.
  • A fine may be issued for any offence against this bylaw that has been designated as a ticketable offence pursuant to the District’s Ticketing Information Utilization Bylaw

Bylaw & Application:

The District of Sicamous is actively recruiting volunteer firefighters to join the Sicamous Fire Department. If you are interested, please complete the New Recruit Information & Fire Department Application and submit to Fire Chief Brett Ogino at firechief@sicamous.ca. 

Lorenzo De Arcangelis, Fire Chief 

Phone:  250-836-2477
Email: firechief@sicamous.ca

In case of emergency, please dial 911.

Report a Wildfire

To report a wildfire or irresponsible behaviour that could start a wildfire in British Columbia, please call 1 800 663-5555 or (*5555 from a cell phone) as soon as possible.

Information from the public is crucial to the effectiveness of our response. If you can, take a picture of the fire and submit it using the BC Wildfire Service app (download in the App Store and on Google Play).

All calls are answered by BC Wildfire Service staff at the Provincial Wildfire Reporting Centre. Any information you can provide is helpful, however you can expect the emergency call taker to ask for details about the fire, such as;

  • Location              
    i.e. Where is the fire? How far up the hillside? Closest intersection?
  • Size                       
    e.g. Metres? Hectares? Size of a house? Size of a football field?
  • Rate of spread
    i.e. How quickly is the fire spreading?
  • Fuel                      
    i.e. What is burning? Grass, bushes, trees?
  • Smoke/flames                
    i.e. What colour is the smoke? Are flames visible?
  • Threat                  
    i.e. Are there any people or buildings at risk?
  • Action                  
    i.e. Is anyone fighting the fire?
  • Campfires
    If reporting a campfire, can you tell if it is wood burning or is it a propane campfire?