Lyonel Doherty
Times-Chronicle
Police have identified a suspect in Friday night’s grass fire in Oliver.
RCMP Sgt. Don Wrigglesworth said officers are working on locating the individual who faces fines totalling more than $1,500.
The fire burned a patch of grassland on a rocky hillside near Tumbleweed Mobile Home Park on August. 6.
“We do know it was human caused,” said Oliver Fire Department spokesman Rob Graham, adding that fire officials believe they know who the culprit is.
Fire crews were quick on the scene at approximately 7:20 p.m. when the fire broke out on the hill just above the Oliver welcome sign on Highway 97.
Graham said the fire burned 300 by 300 feet of grassland. No structures were damaged during the fire.
The officer said they believe the person responsible had a camp fire up there.
“Whether he left it burning or it got away on him and he took off . . . (we don’t know).”
Graham said they have had “periodic problems” with this person camping on the hill.
Wrigglesworth said they are pursuing the matter with the assistance of a natural resource officer to issue tickets in this case. These include lighting fuel or using fire against a Wildfire Act restriction ($1,150) and failing to report an open fire ($575).
