In Sechelt’s Seawatch subdivision, two out of 14 vacant homes, fenced off since 2019 due to sinkholes, have been destroyed by fires, suspected to be intentionally set. Fire Chief Dwight Davison confirmed that both incidents were deliberate. Fire crews were alerted to the blazes around 10 a.m. PT on Saturday, arriving to find one house ablaze and another emitting smoke a short distance away.
Sechelt RCMP has been contacted for a statement regarding the fires. Situated on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, Sechelt is approximately 20 kilometers northwest of Gibsons. Given that the fires occurred within the exclusion zone of the subdivision, deemed unsafe for human activity or vehicles, Davison stated that the crews allowed the fires to burn while ensuring they did not spread to neighboring properties or forests.
The evacuation of Seawatch was mandated in February 2019 following an engineering report from the District of Sechelt highlighting the hazardous sinkhole and geotechnical conditions in the area. Subsequently, in early 2022, property owners were granted access to the subdivision after the lifting of a state of emergency. However, they were required to acknowledge the risks involved in entering the area by signing a disclaimer letter.
A legal dispute initiated by the property owners concluded with provincial courts ruling that registered covenants against the properties absolved the district and the municipal officer of liability for any damages sought by the homeowners. Meanwhile, many of the 14 unoccupied homes have been subjected to break-ins, theft, vandalism, and deterioration due to exposure to the elements and lack of maintenance. In 2020, the properties, once valued at millions of dollars, were assessed at minimal values by B.C. Assessment.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries resulting from the fires on Saturday, according to Davison.