Careless smokers who toss their butts out their vehicle windows are putting communities and first responders at risk, say area firefighters.
And if they’re caught, they will pay.
As one motorist found out in Saanich last week, it’s a $575 fine under the province’s Wildfire Act for flicking a cigarette out the window.
The fine — the highest of its kind in Canada — is a big leap from littering, which will cost you $81 under the Motor Vehicle Act, and up there with using a cellphone while driving, which runs about $600.
With the province in a state of emergency and wildfires popping up everywhere amid extremely dry conditions, police — and the public — are keeping a close eye for those in the habit of tossing their butts.
Saanich police issued the $575 ticket to a driver on the Trans-Canada Highway at McKenzie Avenue last Friday for dropping, releasing or mishandling a burning substance under the Wildfire Act.
Spokesman Const. Markus Anastasiades said it was the first such ticket this year for the department, and the officer had to witness the driver tossing the butt to make the charge stick.
He said drivers can report similar incidents, but should have dashcam video to back it up.
“The cigarette was thrown onto the median of the highway in a very dry area,” he said. “We’ve had fires there before and it can easily spread to other areas, including homes and neighbourhoods.
“This type of behaviour puts everyone in danger — other motorists on the road, first responders and people living nearby,” said Anastasiades.
The Central Saanich Fire Department was called out to a major brush fire last week in the ditches along the road down to Island View beach. The cause was a discarded butt and the blaze drew significant personnel and resources, including engines and crews from neighbouring municipalities.
“It needed suppression,” said Central Saanich Fire Chief Kenn Mount. He said quick calls to 911 and a swift response allowed crews to hit the fire before it got out of hand and spread to residential areas. It ended up scorching a 20-metre-square area.
A few days later, Central Saanich firefighters were called to a residence where bark mulch caught fire. The cause? A burning cigarette.
Mount said departments try to measure their response to fires based on the information they receive, but said with extremely dry conditions it is difficult to estimate what’s needed for each call. On top of that, departments in the region are trying to balance community safety with the larger wildfire needs in the province, said Mount.
A crew and truck from Central Saanich has just returned from West Kelowna, where they saved homes. Central Saanich crews have also been to Fort St. John, Burns Lake, Cranbrook and Sparwood this fire season — “and it may not be over yet,” Mount said.
He said preventable fires caused by discarded cigarettes are completely irresponsible.
“The $595 fine … that’s wonderful, but I think it should be a lot more,” he said.
Victoria Fire Chief Dan Atkinson said conditions are extremely dry and careless smokers can stretch first responders thin.
“It boils down to selfish behaviour,” Atkinson said. “People have to realize we all play a role in the safety of our community. We have to be considerate and aware of the conditions and what could happen.”
A B.C. Wildfire Service spokesperson said if your discarded smoke causes or contributes to a wildfire, you may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs. Violators could also be held responsible for damages to Crown resources — the value of the forests — which could be significant.
The fines have been increased since they were initiated in the Wildfire Act in 2005 and went up sharply in 2016 after a devastating fire season. The province did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the number of fines levied so far this year or last season.
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