‘One spark is all it takes’: breaking fire rules could cost you big bucks

The fire danger rating is extreme throughout much of the Okanagan and the weather is only expected to get hotter.

Now that the wildfire fight has started to simmer in other parts of the province, some extra resources are being stationed at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna to be ready should a fire strike.

READ MORE: Monte Lake wildfire behaviour subsides; covers 150 hectares

A campfire ban has been in place since the beginning of July.

READ MORE: Campfires banned around the Okanagan indefinitely

If you get caught having a campfire, you can expect a pretty big fine. An Alberta man was given a $1,150 ticket for having a campfire in a gravel parking lot beside a local soccer field, which was also next to a forest area and mere meters from homes.

READ MORE: Hefty fine for Alberta man for his illegal campfire in Kelowna

Because of how dangerous the conditions are, RCMP said they have zero tolerance for anyone disobeying the campfire ban.

“We are of course taking it very seriously,” Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey with the Kelowna RCMP said. “The wildfire hazards are very serious here and we are being extra vigilant.”

Eight local parks are also closed in the central Okanagan because of the fire danger – it’s the first time that’s happened since 2014.

READ MORE: Okanagan parks close due to fire danger

“We never like to close a park, they belong to everyone in the Central Okanagan,” Bruce Smith with the Regional District of Central Okanagan said, “but the risk of having people in here and having a fire start in a park with limited water supply close to properties is just too great.”

If you get caught inside one of those parks, the fine is upwards of $500.

And with the weather expected to get even warmer in the Okanagan in the coming week, the danger is increasing too, so fire officials are warning everyone to just be careful.