Local firefighters and police say they are astonished by the actions of people ignorant to the dangers of wildfires.
Nelson Fire and Rescue Services responded to a report Tuesday evening of the smell of smoke above the Burlington Northern trail grade.
Firefighters found a smoldering log at the junction of another trail, which was extinguished and the surrounding area wet down. Although no cause could be determined, the fire crew suspected it was caused by discarded smoking material.
“Nelson Fire and Rescue Services would like to express how significant this fire could have become, with the dry coarse woody debris found near the incident site and the hot dry weather we have been having,” the department said in a release. “There is no doubt that we have avoided a significant wildfire event.”
Earlier Tuesday, RCMP were following a vehicle on Highway 3A near 8 Mile when officers saw a passenger flicking a lit cigarette out of a window that landed in tall grass.
The woman from Surrey was given a $575 violation ticket, while the driver had their vehicle towed and were ticketed for not having insurance and speeding.
“In the current drive environment with a province-wide state of emergency declared, we are flabbergasted that someone could be so careless,” said Sgt. Chad Badry in a release.
