Fines for illegal campfires in B.C. top $21,000 over the weekend

It appears that some B.C. residents and visitors are still not getting the message about campfire bans.

Over the weekend, B.C. Conservation officers conducted campfire ban patrols across several regions and said that, unfortunately, numerous illegal fires were discovered.

In all, 19 violation tickets were issued, according to the organization, totalling $21,850 in fines.

“Claiming you didn’t know about the campfire ban is not an acceptable excuse,” they posted in an update.

Anyone who is camping or enjoying the outdoors this summer should check with local authorities to find out if there are any bans in place in the area.

The BC Wildfire Service has put campfire bans in place in the Cariboo Fire Centre, parts of the Coastal Fire Centre, the Kamloops Fire Centre and the Southeast Fire Centre.

There are currently 136 active wildfires burning in B.C.