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‘You burn it, you buy it’ campaign highlights penalties for starting wildfires

Campaign organizers want to reduce human-caused wildfires.
Wildfire prevention
Photo: Outdoor Recreation Council BC

Giant price tags have been placed in Stanley Park and other popular outdoor spots in Vancouver to warn people that they can face a hefty fine for starting wildfires.

The tags are part of the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C.’s (ORC) new campaign and were attached to the trees for a few hours — ensuring they don’t harm the environment but will raise awareness through social media.

“Last year’s wildfires, which displaced thousands of British Columbians and burned more than 1.2 million hectares, were some of the most destructive we’ve seen in the province and remarkably over 50 per cent of the fires were caused by humans,” says Natalia Pisarek, Communications Coordinator, at ORC.

The B.C. Conservation Service issued 42 tickets worth a total of $48,500 over the 2018 B.C. Day long weekend to people violating campfire bans.

The province also increased wildfire-related fines in March and introduced new regulations requiring all off-road vehicles to have a “spark arrestor,” which is a small screen installed in an exhaust system to prevent sparks from exiting the tailpipe, when operating on Crown land.

Failing to have a spark arrestor could result in a $460 fine increasing to a maximum of $10,000 if the vehicle is operating when there is a wildfire risk in the area. If an off-road vehicle starts a fire the fines range from $1 million and/or three years in jail. The person responsible could also be ordered to pay all associated firefighting costs.

If a fire is caused by a downed power line or any other factor related to utility transmission operations there is an administrative fine of $100,000.

The fine for failing to comply with restricted area requirements, an order restricting activity or use and an order to leave a specified area increased from $767 to $1,150.

There are also fines for failing to report or extinguish a fire or failing to assess fire hazards.

The B.C. Wildfire Service highlights 46 wildfires of note, defined as highly visible or posing a threat to public safety, burning across the province. In total, there are about 566 active fires in B.C. with evacuation orders impacting over 3,000 people.

Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth declared a provincial state of emergency on Wednesday (August 15), which will be in effect for 14 days but can be extended or rescinded as necessary.

Environment Canada’s air quality advisory remains in effect for Metro Vancouver due to smoke from wildfires drifting over the region.

“With August being the prime time season for adventures and wildfires we hope this campaign reminds people to enjoy the outdoors responsibly,” says Pisarek.