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Wildfire Service mum on potential punishment for firefighters caught enjoying campfire

Aug 10, 2017 | 5:49 PM

KAMLOOPS — The BC Wildfire Service won’t say if there was any discipline handed down to a group of firefighting personnel caught enjoying a campfire during a regional burning prohibition.

The group was discovered on the shore of Adams Lake on July 11, eating pizza around a campfire.

Local resident Rusty Clark confronted the firefighters and took photos, leading to the BC Wildfire Service investigation.

One of those photos shows a sign advertising the campfire prohibition.

Fire Information Officer Max Birkner says an investigation has wrapped up, but the results won’t be made public.

“There’s certainly been an investigation regarding the incident. That investigation is now concluded,” said Birkner. “However, since it was internal to our organization, the result of the investigation is confidential.”

Birkner says the issue is a personnel matter.

“It’s internal to the BC Wildfire Service, and that’s why we’re keeping it at a confidential level.”

But Birkner notes firefighters are not exempt from burning prohibitions in place in the region.

“The campfire ban that is currently in place within the Kamloops Fire Centre does apply to all people within the Kamloops Fire Centre.”