Sunshine Coast RCMP fine 9 people for bonfire during fire ban

Police on the Sunshine Coast are actively enforcing the current fire ban.

On August 7th an off-duty firefighter reported a bonfire on Home Island just off Keats Island. The firefighter went out in his own boat to the rock island to try and persuade the campers to put out the fire, but they refused.

The firefighter called police to alert them to the illegal fire. RCMP arrived on site and explained to the group responsible for the bonfire the province wide fire ban and the risk of embers traveling kilometres in the wind.

All nine men around the large fire were issued violation tickets ($1,150 each) under the Wildfire Act. The combined total fines was $10,350.