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B.C. firefighters fined for breaking campfire ban amid B.C. wildfires

A photo of B.C. firefighters standing next to a campfire was posted to social media. Facebook

Three B.C. firefighters who were photographed standing around a fire during a province-wide campfire ban have been ticketed and fined.

The workers were in Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations uniforms and were gathered around the campfire near Adams Lake in the Shuswap region when the photos were taken last month.

The photos quickly went viral, and chief wildfire information officer Kevin Skrepnek says it touched off a pair of reviews.

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“There were two investigations launched as a result of those photos coming to light.”

One of those investigations was internal and any related discipline will not be made public. But the second investigation has resulted in three warning tickets and a single $1,150 fine.

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Skrepnek did not say whether the firefighters are still working for the BC Wildfire Service.

At the time of the photo, Skrepnek said there was an open burning and campfire ban across B.C., and it applied to everyone — including firefighters.

Full campfire bans have since been lifted in the Northwest and Prince George fire centres.

-With files from Jon Azpiri

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