BC Wildfire Service is urging the public to be more careful with fire after fire wardens discovered and extinguished 21 abandoned campfires over the long weekend.
Abandoned campfires may lead to wildfires and are completely preventable. Human-caused wildfires divert resources away from naturally-occurring incidents.
Since Friday, July 29, Kamloops Fire Centre has responded to 20 new fire starts, 14 of which were caused by lightning.
Careless campfire use can have costly repercussions. Anyone who leaves a campfire unattended for any length of time can be fined $1,150. If that fire turns into a wildfire, that person may be fined up to $1 million, face three years in prison and be required to pay for all related fire suppression costs.
To date, the BC Wildfire Service has responded to 130 wildfires, which have burned 252 hectares. Fifty-seven of those fires have been lightning-caused and 71 are suspected to be human-caused. Currently, the fire danger rating through the region is moderate with pockets of high in the Clearwater, Salmon Arm, and Penticton Fire Zones.
To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call *5555 on your cellular phone or call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free. For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, visit www.bcwildfire.ca