A fire ignited west of Salmon Arm resulted in a $2,300 fine.
Early Monday evening, July 31, Salmon Arm RCMP and Tappen/Sunnybrae firefighters responded to a report of a man and woman walking away from a lit fire and getting into a black car on Tappen Valley Road near Highway 1.
Deputy Regional Fire Chief Sean Coubrough with the Columbia Shuswap Regional District said firefighters were quick to knock out the roughly five-foot by five-foot blaze located near railway tracks. He said the fire appeared to have been intentionally set.
Police were able to locate the vehicle described in the report.
“A female from that car was served $2,300 in provincial fines for igniting a fire in contravention of the provincial regulations,” said Staff Sgt. Scott West in a media release. “The people in the car reported having no address and evidence of recent drug use was noted by the police investigator.”
West called the quick action by the Tappen-Sunnybrae Volunteer Fire Department “instrumental” in preventing the blaze from getting out of control.
West noted a fire ban remains in effect and, “given the current conditions, provincial fines and potential criminal charges will be considered in all cases involving burning.”
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lachlan@saobserver.net
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