Fires lit on Don Valley trails in dangerous act of sabotage
Two bridges torched in three days endanger riders and the Valley itself
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This photo of the charred remains of a bridge were posted in the Don Valley MTB Facebook group.
Someone appears to be setting fire to structures on popular Don Valley trails in a dangerous act of sabotage.
Two fires on have been set on bridge crossings on trails in Toronto’s Don Valley in the past three days. Both structures were destroyed by the fires.
These latest acts of trail sabotage are especially reckless and dangerous. While removing the bridges endangers riders, setting the trail on fire to destroy features in the middle of August heat threatens more than rider safety. Lighting the Don Valley on fire risks the fire spreading to the surrounding woods. This is true any time, but it is especially during dangerous mid-August weather.
Luckily, the fires were spotted by a mountain biker and put out by the local fire department before any serious damage occurred.
RELATED: Mountain biker injured by wire in Toronto’s Don Valley says incident could have been worse
The fires were set on two different trails. One bridge crossing a wide gully on Trash Panda, a newer trail in Wilket Creek Park, was torched. Another bridge was destroyed by fire near the trail Party Atmosphere.
Anyone who witnesses someone setting fires in the Don Valley, or otherwise intentionally damaging trails, should contact the police.
RELATED: North Vancouver woman sentenced after sabotaging North Shore mountain bike trails
History of trail sabotage in the Don Valley
This isn’t the first time Don Valley trails seen dangerous acts of sabotage. In 2018 a mountain biker was caught up in barbed wire strung across another popular trail, one sanctioned by the City of Toronto. That cyclist was lucky to escape with just cuts and minor injuries.
Trail sabotage, while uncommon, is an issue faced by mountain bikers around the world. In 2016 64-year-old Tineke Kraal was convicted for repeatedly sabotaging trails in North Vancouver over a two-year period. Similar incidents were reported in Nanaimo, B.C. that same year.
