Williams Lake RCMP arrested an intoxicated resident after vigilant members of the community reported fireworks being set off.

During the early morning hours on Saturday, police responded to reports of a mischief in progress after receiving information that fireworks were being launched from a property in the area of Carson Drive and Central Court.

RCMP responded to the area and identified the individual believed to be responsible after officers located several empty fireworks canisters on the man’s property.

The 34-year-old Williams Lake man later reportedly told police that he set the fireworks off in celebration of returning home after his evacuation.

He was released after sobering up overnight in RCMP cells with more than $1,000 of fines for allegedly dropping, releasing or mishandling a burning substance, as well as for failing to comply with high-risk activity restrictions under both the provincial BC Wildfire Act and its Regulations.

“It is careless acts such as this that have the real potential to trigger even more interface wildfires in the area,” said Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, Communications Officer for the BC RCMP in Williams Lake.

“RCMP wish to thank those astute members of the community who called in the complaint, had this man’s actions been overlooked the outcome could have been dire for the entire community.”