A ban on cosmetic pesticides in Victoria sparked the decision by a Victoria couple to purchase a weed-burning torch to kill weeds on their patio. The torch, in turn, sparked the fire that badly damaged their house. The Victoria fire department says the propane-powered weed torches are “not necessarily recommended, but there’s no ban on them.”

Victoria has a long-standing ban against open burning, and the man whose house burned last week thinks the torches should be banned as well. Jason Reid told the globe and mail that his wife, Maureen, was using the torch in the recommended fashion to kill weeds between patio pavers when the house went up in flames.

Resembling a watering wand with a propane canister on one end, the $44.95 hand-held torches are advertised as an environmentally friendly alternative to pesticides. Reid no longer sees the product in that light and says it shouldn’t be on the market.

Victoria is one of 29 municipalities in British Columbia that have burned cosmetic pesticides in recent years, and last month, B.C.’s Liberal government established a special committee to look at a possible province-wide ban.

Although fires caused by weed-burners are rare, at least six have been reported in North America over the past decade. It turns out weed burning isn’t as safe as people thought.

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Posted in British Columbia Canada Environment Local News Victoria by mattresschoice Comments Off