The Coastal Fire Centre, which includes the area around the District of Squamish, is offering up to $50,000 to catch those who have been setting fires in the region.
This year more than 85 per cent of coastal wildfires have been person-caused - compared with the usual 60 per cent. And of those, an increasing number appear to have been deliberate. "Person caused" can mean arson, as well as accidents such as the careless disposal of cigarettes and failure to put out campfires.
Sue Croft of the Coastal Fire Centre said some of the wildfires set by alleged arsonists in the Coastal Fire Centre this year were under investigation - in some cases, in conjunction with the RCMP - so there wasn't a lot of detail that could be provided in terms of exact numbers or locations for this year's fire outbreaks.
"I can say that none of the deliberately caused fires so far this year have been large or particularly challenging, in terms of fire suppression efforts," she said "However, it's the overall trend toward this increase in deliberately caused fires that is concerning."
Croft added that information about suspicious fire activity should be reported by calling 9-1-1 or the provincial wildfire reporting line (1-800-663-5555). Information will be kept strictly confidential. A reward of up to $50,000 is being offered by the B.C. Forest Service for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in deliberately setting wildfires.
"Normally, about 40 per cent of wildfires in the Coastal Fire Centre are caused by lightning, while 60 per cent are person caused , though not necessarily deliberate - it may include abandoned campfires, equipment use, railroads, etc," she said. "However this year more than 85 per cent have been person-caused. The concern here is that resources [fire crews and equipment] are directed at putting out preventable fires, while they may be needed for lightning-caused fires which are not preventable."
So far in this particularly dry year, there have been 165 wildfires in the Coastal Fire Centre by the beginning of August, compared to 83 wildfires on the same date last year. This means the number of person-caused fires this year in the region is around 140.
The Coastal Fire Centre covers all the area west of the height of land on the Coast Mountain range from the U.S./Canada border at Manning Park to Tweedsmuir Park in the north, the lower mainland, the Sunshine Coast, all of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
