A Kelowna man is so fed up with the number of human caused wildfires that he's offering a $10,000 reward to bring to justice people who deliberately start forest fires.

Last month, the RCMP announced it is investigating 29 Okanagan forest fires deliberately set over the last four years.

Other fires are caused by natural events, like lightning strikes.

Jayme Knyx is particularly affected by the smoke because he suffers from asthma — so badly that it's put him in hospital.

"It's been an ongoing event for me. I've been having an asthma attack once or twice a week," Knyx said. "Earlier this year, I actually almost died from my asthma."

Knyx is the owner of Ogologo Media.

Smoky days are particularly bad for his health, he said, and make it very difficult for him to breathe.

"Why should we be tolerating this intentional destruction of the beautiful Okanagan Valley?" he told Chris Walker, the host of CBC's Daybreak South.

"It's important we link arms as a community."

Evidence for formal charges

The current deterrents aren't stopping people from starting forest fires, Knyx said, but hopes the large cash incentive might encourage someone to turn in their friends and acquaintances if they've lit the forest alight.

The award will given on the condition that sufficient evidence is given to lead to formal charges and ideally a successful conviction.

The money is nothing to him, he said, if it puts an end to human-caused fires.

The Lake Country wildfire that destroyed eight homes last year was deliberately set, say RCMP. (Michael McArthur/CBC)

"The last thing you are thinking about when you can't breathe is $10,000," Knyx said. "All you are thinking about is your next breath."

Three other people have jumped on board with Knyx's initiative and are chipping in an additional $5,000, bringing the total award to $15,000.

"I think bringing some awareness and getting people active on this is very important," he said.

"It's our responsibility to step forward and not be a tattletale, but let's be responsible about what we're doing."

With files from Brady Strachan and Daybreak South.

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