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Firefighters were called to five suspicious brush fires near B.C.’s Shuswap Lake on Wednesday evening, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District says.
Three were discovered burning about 100 metres apart from each other in the ditch along Squilax Anglemont Road, and two others were found in Anglemont Estates area.
The district says the incidents are under investigation and RCMP are involved.
The fires come as the area around Shuswap Lake is listed as having a high to extreme fire danger by the province.
“Hot and dry conditions continue for the majority of British Columbia,” said the B.C. Wildfire Service in its provincial report Thursday.
The CSRD noted there have been six other unrelated fires in the district that have been extinguished by fire departments over the past week, “which could have become very serious events without the intervention of our members.”
No one has been arrested or detained in relation to the suspicious brush fires, as of Thursday evening, and the district says they were extinguished.
Violation tickets handed out
Meanwhile, the provincial Conservation Officer Service said in a Thursday Facebook post that it was busy over the long weekend, issuing 18 violation tickets for illegal fires in areas where prohibitions were active.
Prohibitions on all open fires are in place across the Cariboo, Kamloops and southeast regions.
The Coastal Fire Centre prohibits Category 1 fires in most areas, and Category 2 and Category 3 open fires across the region.
The northwest region only prohibits Category 3 open fires, and Prince George is allowing all categories.
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A Category 1 fire is used for recreational purposes, such as a campfire to cook food. Category 2 open fires burn materials in up to two piles simultaneously.
Category 3 open fires are large material burnings in multiple piles or long rows of material.
The Conservation Officer Service added in its post that the effects wildfires have on “people, communities, and livelihoods are very real.”
“We are asking everyone to do their part by respecting fire restrictions and road closures.”