Prevent another Seawatch fire from burning us all
The Issue
On September 5, two homes in Seawatch burned to the ground. Arson is suspected. We're lucky that we didn't suffer a devastating forest fire.
These fires were foreseeable. All 14 Seawatch homes have been vacant since the District of Sechelt’s 2019 evacuation order. The subdivision is frequently trespassed and vandalized. Bad things happen to homes that are frequented by vandals.
We were fortunate these house fires did not evolve into something much worse. Because of the sinkhole risk, firefighters could do little more than watch the flames from outside the perimeter fence. They wanted to go in but could not. Seawatch is overgrown and filled with potential fuel. It is also bordered on three sides by forest that is connected to all the communities on the peninsula, from Sechelt to Egmont. The ground was wet and the air was still on September 5. Had this been a normal dry and breezy summer day, these fires could have easily spread into that forest.
The September 5 fires should be treated as a warning.
The District of Sechelt and RCMP have known about ongoing trespassing into Seawatch since its evacuation. Trespassers have even posted their activities on social media. Yet meaningful access control and enforcement have been lacking. The fencing has had gaping holes in it for years and trespassers come and go with little apparent concern. All of these homes have been looted and badly vandalized and this now appears to have evolved into arson.
This cannot continue. Three things must happen now.
First, the District must repair and maintain the perimeter fence so that it actually restricts unauthorized access.
Second, the B.C. Trespass Act needs to be enforced. Much of this problem stems from an apparent lack of consequence to trespassing and vandalism. We need to change this. Where the evidence warrants it, the RCMP should recommend charges to Crown counsel. We need the consequences to outweigh the fun of what is often recreational vandalism.
Third, the District should establish and maintain a firebreak around Seawatch to reduce the risk of future structure fires spreading into the surrounding forest. If our dedicated firefighters cannot go inside the fence to fight the next fire, we need to give them a buffer between fire and forest and room to work outside the fence.
It is too late to protect the homes already lost or damaged. But the situation at Seawatch now presents an obvious and preventable risk to the broader Coast community.
We were lucky on September 5. We cannot rely on being lucky again.
189
The Issue
On September 5, two homes in Seawatch burned to the ground. Arson is suspected. We're lucky that we didn't suffer a devastating forest fire.
These fires were foreseeable. All 14 Seawatch homes have been vacant since the District of Sechelt’s 2019 evacuation order. The subdivision is frequently trespassed and vandalized. Bad things happen to homes that are frequented by vandals.
We were fortunate these house fires did not evolve into something much worse. Because of the sinkhole risk, firefighters could do little more than watch the flames from outside the perimeter fence. They wanted to go in but could not. Seawatch is overgrown and filled with potential fuel. It is also bordered on three sides by forest that is connected to all the communities on the peninsula, from Sechelt to Egmont. The ground was wet and the air was still on September 5. Had this been a normal dry and breezy summer day, these fires could have easily spread into that forest.
The September 5 fires should be treated as a warning.
The District of Sechelt and RCMP have known about ongoing trespassing into Seawatch since its evacuation. Trespassers have even posted their activities on social media. Yet meaningful access control and enforcement have been lacking. The fencing has had gaping holes in it for years and trespassers come and go with little apparent concern. All of these homes have been looted and badly vandalized and this now appears to have evolved into arson.
This cannot continue. Three things must happen now.
First, the District must repair and maintain the perimeter fence so that it actually restricts unauthorized access.
Second, the B.C. Trespass Act needs to be enforced. Much of this problem stems from an apparent lack of consequence to trespassing and vandalism. We need to change this. Where the evidence warrants it, the RCMP should recommend charges to Crown counsel. We need the consequences to outweigh the fun of what is often recreational vandalism.
Third, the District should establish and maintain a firebreak around Seawatch to reduce the risk of future structure fires spreading into the surrounding forest. If our dedicated firefighters cannot go inside the fence to fight the next fire, we need to give them a buffer between fire and forest and room to work outside the fence.
It is too late to protect the homes already lost or damaged. But the situation at Seawatch now presents an obvious and preventable risk to the broader Coast community.
We were lucky on September 5. We cannot rely on being lucky again.
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Petition created on September 7, 2026