FILE PHOTO.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
August 04, 2022 - 12:29 PM
The Vernon fire department fined a resident $700 for having a fire last night.
The Okanagan Landing Road resident was burning treated wood and other prohibited materials in a half oil drum ring near trees and other combustibles, Aug. 3, according to a City of Vernon media release.
"The wildfire risk rating in Vernon is listed as extreme right now, which means all of us must take extra precautions to prevent fires in our community," Vernon fire chief David Lind said in a media release.
"This is to keep residents, visitors, emergency responders and properties safe. There is no excuse for not following the rules of a fire ban. If someone has a fire that contravenes the ban, a fine will be issued. This is a serious safety matter."
The fire took place at a property in the 6800-block of Okanagan Landing Road and crews were called at 10:20 p.m.
"The fire was first discovered by one of our bylaw compliance officers," protective services manager Darren Lees said in the release. "We’re thankful there were no injuries reported in the incident but the situation could have become much more serious very quickly if the fire had ignited any of the nearby materials."
The City of Vernon brought in a fire ban July 29. A Kamloops Fire Centre campfire ban has also been implemented today at noon.
The city said non-compliance with its fire ban could result in fines up to $1,000.
— This story was updated at 2:17 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, to include the amount of the fine.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Ben Bulmer or call (250) 309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2022