A 34-year-old man from Williams Lake, British Columbia was arrested and fined after RCMP members halted a dangerous celebration in the wildfire ravaged area.
According to the Williams Lake RCMP detachment, officers were called to a location in the Carson Road area after neighbours reported seeing fireworks. RCMP members say they located an intoxicated man and several empty fireworks canisters on the property.
“The 34-year-old Williams Lake man later told police that he set the fireworks off in celebration of returning home after his evacuation,” said Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey of the BC RCMP in Williams Lake. “It is careless acts such as this that have the real potential to trigger even more interface wildfires in the area.”
RCMP say the unnamed man was transported to a holding cell to allow him an opportunity to sober up. The man was released and faces fines in excess of $1,000 in connection with:
- Dropping, releasing or mishandling a burning substance
- Failing to comply with high-risk activity restrictions under the BC Wildfire Act
"RCMP wish to thank those astute members of the community who called in the complaint," said O'Donaghey, "Had this man’s actions been overlooked the outcome could have been dire for the entire community."
Wildfires in the Cariboo region prompted officials to impose an evacuation order on July 15 that saw the displacement of approximately 10,000 residents of Williams Lake. Residents were permitted to return home in late July.
