With the legalization of marijuana coming down the pipe, staff at the Coastal Fire Centre are reminding the public to be responsible when discarding their used cigarette butts and joints.
B.C. suffered through the worst fire season on record last year, as the provincial government spent $568 million dollars to put out the more than 1,300 blazes that scorched 1.2 million hectares throughout the province.
The human-caused Elephant Hill fire near Ashcroft grew to approximately 2,000 square kilometres last fire season and Fire Information Officer in the Coastal zone Donna MacPherson says serious fines are in place for anyone caught setting a fire, whether it’s intentional or not.
She says if you’re smoking in or near wooded areas, it’s important to properly extinguish your cigarettes or joints.
More information on how to report a wildfire or suspicious activity is available here.
