Authorities believe a smoker caused a grass fire this morning.
Squamish Fire Rescue rushed to the scene, which was on the border of a residential area in the Garibaldi Estates to put out the flames.
“All indications point to discarded smoking materials as the cause of the fire,” the District posted on Facebook. “Had this occurred during a typical windy afternoon, the fire would have spread quickly, resulting in a much more dangerous situation for our community.”
Fines for improperly disposing of smoking materials can reach $500, plus expenses, should it cause a fire.
The Squamish area is currently at an extreme fire risk.
Fire rescue crews have also been called out recently to abandoned campfires, which are currently banned due to high danger levels.
The District says the fine for lighting a campfire during the ban is $1,150 per person at the fire, even if it is a first-time offense.
Squamish RCMP and local Natural Resource Officers have issued over $14,000 in fines under the BC Wildfire Act so far during the ban.
