Prince George – Mackenzie MLA Mike Morris has been chosen to lead a review of wildfires caused by tossed cigarettes and human carelessness.
He will be considering higher fines, penalties, or even vehicle impoundment for any transgressors.
Morris says he’ll be looking to introduce much stiffer legislation:
“What we need to do is bring in penalties that reflect the seriousness of the situation here. You know, we are North of $220 million dollars now in fire fighting costs in the Province. We’ve lost one life, a firefighter this year, a faller who was falling some danger trees around an area.”
In 2014, 664 human caused wildfires were reported; the third worst year in terms of percentage over the last decade, and the largest overall acreage lost since 2010.
Morris believes awareness and education should also strongly be encouraged in any new legislation, and he says the review will take several more weeks to complete.
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