Some 260 tickets have been issued to people in B.C. in the last five years for violating the provincial Wildfire Act. The Ministry of Forests confirmed the number of tickets handed by Natural Resource Officers (NROs) between April 2019 and March 2024, with Glacier Media. NROs are provincial staff who work throughout B.C. and investigate human-caused wildfires. During the same period, these officers brought 38 cases to administrative hearings for more serious contraventions. “There are a number of enforcement actions Natural Resource Officers can take when a Wildfire Act violation has occurred. Issuing violation tickets and pursuing administrative enforcement penalties or prosecution are different actions,” said the ministry. Carelessly flicking a cigarette butt in British Columbia can cause catastrophic damage and spark wildfires. 60 per cent of wildfires are caused by lightning in B.C., but flicking a cigarette butt or not putting out campfires are common reasons why wildfires start.