Three fires in B.C.’s northwest are under investigation after suspicions that they may have been deliberately set.
The fires, which were recently responded to by the Northwest Fire Centre, are under investigation by enforcement officers from the Ministry of Forests, Mines and Natural resources, said a press release this afternoon.
“These fires are suspected to be human-caused and may have been deliberately set,” said the release. “The RCMP has been advised and the incidents will be referred to the RCMP if warranted.”
“Deliberately set fires put natural resources, property and people’s lives at risk. The Northwest Fire Centre would like to remind members of the public to report any suspicious activity using the principle of “observe, record, report”. If you observe suspicious behaviour related to the setting of wildfires, record details of your observations and immediately report them to the RCMP. Include a physical description of the person(s), a description of any vehicle that was observed nearby (including the licence plate number) and the date and time of the incident.”
Anyone found deliberately setting fires can be fined from $100,000 to $1 million, said the release.
Anyone with information on this or any other crimes are being asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-TIPS (8477) or at www.bccrimestoppers.com.
To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call *5555 on a cellphone or call toll-free to 1 800 663-5555.
