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July 27, 2017 - 10:52 AM
KELOWNA - An Alberta man has been lit up for having an illegal campfire in Kelowna while wildfires rage across the province.
According to Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, police were called last Saturday, July 22, just after 9:30 p.m. for a report of flames in a forested area below homes on Dilworth Mountain.
The source of the fire was identified as a campfire at a make shift overnight camp in the parking lot of the Dilworth soccer park, O’Donaghey says in a media release.
The man attempted to extinguish the blaze himself before he left the scene on foot prior to police arrival, leaving his camping gear and vehicle behind, O’Donaghey says.
“The man later returned as officers were in the process of preparing to tow his vehicle from the parking lot,” he says.
The 20-year-old Alberta man was fined $1,150 under the Wildfire Act for what police are condemning as a “careless act.”
“This could have been a very dangerous situation and serves as an appropriate reminder that all campfires are prohibited throughout all Central Okanagan municipalities,” O’Donaghey says. “Violators could not only receive fines, however may also be charged the cost of the fire crew’s response to a burning complaint.”
Anyone who observes any camp fires or open burns attended or left unattended are urged to call 911. To report a wildfire immediately call 1-800-663-5555 toll free or *5555 on your cellular device.
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