Okanagan Forest Task Force stunned that some ignoring campfire ban

Dumbfounded. And upset.

Kane Blake says those are his states of mind aft continuing to find campfires successful B.C.’s backcountry contempt a near-province-wide prohibition connected outdoor fires.

To date, nan laminitis of nan Okanagan Forest Task Force says nan group has put retired 18 backcountry campfires successful nan past 3 weeks.

The yearly campfire prohibition for nan Kamloops Fire Centre came into effect connected Friday, July 12.

In an question and reply pinch Global News, Blake says he’s upset that group aren’t abiding by nan ban, noting that it was put successful spot for a reason.

In 1 instance, Blake says he attended an quiet backcountry campsite that had a campfire burning.

Not convinced that nan camper would obey nan ban, he made a 2nd sojourn and recovered nan camper had restarted nan campfire.

“While trying to calmly person a chat astir nan prohibition and that it applies to perfectly everyone, I was asked ‘Well, tin we support it going for nan adjacent hour? Then I will put it out.’” Blake said connected Facebook.

“In nan calmest sound I could muster, ‘No, perfectly not. The prohibition applies to everyone.’”

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Blake said nan BC Conservation Officer Service was notified.

The adjacent day, Blake says they returned, only to find nan campsite abandoned pinch garbage near behind.

“Some days we find nothing,” Blake said, “and others we find one, 2 aliases moreover 3 (campfires).”

The Okanagan Forest Task Force says they’re not uncovering forbidden campfires successful easy accessible campgrounds, but successful places good disconnected nan beaten path.

“We’re actively looking for forbidden dumping and for these campfires,” Blake said, adding that nan group’s extremity is bring consciousness to nan contamination successful B.C.’s backcountry.

“If group do spot an forbidden campfire, study it. And if you’re retired successful nan backcountry, transportation other h2o for owed diligence.”

To study a wildfire, unattended campfire aliases an open-burning violation, telephone 1-800-663-5555 aliases *5555.

More accusation astir reporting fires is available online.