Hikers Fined for Park Access and Campfire
Prince George, B.C. – Two hikers who became stranded this week in Tweedsmuir Park South are facing hefty fines having accessed the park while it was closed to the public, and for lighting a campfire during a province wide campfire ban.
RCMP Staff Sergeant Annie Linteau says the two hikers had to be rescued by helicopter on Tuesday from an area that was closed because of extreme wildfire hazard.
The two were rescued by helicopter with assistance from the BC Wildfire Service and the BC Parks Staff. Staff Sergeant Linteau says the two were rescued, BC Parks staff had to finish extinguishing the campfire the pair had lit the night before. According to Linteau, the hikers indicated they were aware the area was off limits and that campfires were banned.
The hikers have been issued two fines, totalling $1233.00 for accessing the park while it was closed, and for lighting a fire during a fire ban. “We urge the public to respect all bans and restrictions” says St. Sgt Linteau “It’s really unfortunate that these hikers’ blatant disregard of park closures, resulted in the diversion of valuable resources and assets mainly people and a helicopter that otherwise would be used in fire suppression efforts.
Comments
Remember when the NDP refused to log the park, and therefore stop the pine beetle spread? Good times.
That’s an urban legend.
NOPE, not an ‘urban legend’. A relative worked in forestry at that time.
Whether it is true or not true, what on earth does it have tio do with idiots lighting fires in a closed, tinder dry forest when forest fires are raging throughout the province. Is political posturing about things that may have happened in our province, or not, more important to you than the safety of the forests today, right now?
You think logging the park would have stopped the spread? Better think again. The election was two months ago, get over it. 😂
NDP politicians refused to take the advice of their own forestry experts to go in and log the area at once. They never even gave it a try, so we will never know whether it would have worked or not! All we have is an “urban legend” and devastated pine forests.
Yes it would have slowed it down big time; think back into the late seventies when the gov’t went in and logged out the Bowren valley’ it took a few years but got it under control . I for one will never forget the Tweedsmuir incident.
The tweedsmuir incident had nothing to do with this gov’t; but it was under NDP control then. A piece of history no one should forget. Irresponsible government.
Logging the park is what help spread the bug to devastate even more forest … they should have burnt the infestation and surrounding area … today the forest and outcome could have been a thousand fold better.
JR, the Bowron wasn’t a pine beetle infestation.
Get your facts straight..the environmentalists stopped the destruction of the infested trees in the park..
Charge them for the cost of the rescue too!! I just don’t understand some people. Stupid…
As they say….”You just can’t fix stupid.”
Too bad their names weren’t posted. I imagine their family and friends would be very proud of them.
Remember when the lieberals tried to impose an HST tax. Remember when the libs sold the BCR. Remember the carbon tax, the MSP premium payments, the cut to unfair medicare an the proposed pie in the sky LNG billions we were going to get.
yes one must remember both sides have had their issues. Neither party is perfect contrary to public opinion.
To ice: Your cooment deserves to be nominated for best comment of the month!
In a location that was closed to the public! Province wide campfire band in effect! I would think that these penalties are warranted. When will people get it!!
I sure hope that the fine was $1233 each not intotal. I do not know the circumstances so I can not say what the final outcome should be, however, being there is one thing, starting a fire in these hot dry days is another. It did not say why they needed rescue but I am think in these circumstances, they should pay for the helicopter.
Just curious were the fire fighters who had a fire when the ban was in effect ever fined? Or was this matter just covered up last I heard it was going to be investigated but then there was no follow-up information as usual. They should also have been given some heavy fines as they defiantly know better.
I saw the photos from that story. I saw no evidence that campfire happened in 2017. Two photos, one showing people standing around a fire and the other showing a fire ban sign. I have yet to see any solid evidence that this fire actually occurred as the photograher says it did.
Have you seen solid evidence that it didn’t. Like I said it was going to be investigated. just wondering the outcome
ntkr14,
NOPE, not an ‘urban legend’. A relative worked in forestry at that time.
I’m sure that you’re correct ntkr14.
You just don’t have the full picture.
I was in Tweedsmuir in ’81 and’83 and from the top of Mt Chikamin could see the patches of pine beetle killed trees.
In the early 1980’s (Scored gov’t), Dr. Les McMullen, an entomologist, (and others) from the Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre in Victoria wanted to “go after” the pine beetle, but they were federal and the provincial parks “trumped” them.
Les died in the min-1980’s, before the beetle devastation took hold, but I believe that he saw it coming
McMullen, L.H.; Safranyik, L.; Linton, D.A. 1986. Suppression of mountain pine beetle infestations in lodgepole pine forests. Agriculture Canada, Ministry of State for Forestry and Mines, Paci c Forestry Centre Information Report BC-X-276. 20 p.
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