A BC man has been arrested and fined for setting off fireworks shortly after returning to his home in Williams Lake, which had been under evacuation from the threat of wildfires.

According to a release from RCMP, early this morning officers received reports of fireworks being launched from a property near Carson Drive and Central Court.

When officers arrived in the area, they found the individual believed to be responsible and located several empty fireworks canisters on the man’s property.

“The 34-year-old Williams Lake man later told police that he set the fireworks off in celebration of returning home after his evacuation,” said Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, Communications Officer for the BC RCMP in Williams Lake, in a statement.

“It is careless acts such as this that have the real potential to trigger even more interface wildfires in the area.”

The man spent the night in police custody to sober up, and he has since been released with over $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 BC Wildfire Act and its regulations.

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, added O’Donaghey.

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