A group of B.C. firefighters are being criticized on social media over pictures that appear to show them ignoring the province's ban on campfires.
The images were uploaded to Facebook Tuesday night by user Rusty Clark, who claimed he saw the crew enjoying a campfire beside Adams Lake, southeast of the wildfire threatening the community of Little Fort.
"Can somebody please report these idiots for me," Clark wrote. "I'm having troubles getting out on my cell booster."
His post, which includes some of the men's licence plate numbers as well as a nearby sign that indicates campfires aren't allowed, has since been shared more than 700 times.
It's also come to the attention of the B.C. Wildfire Service, which confirmed it has launched an investigation into what happened.
"We are aware of that situation and we at B.C. Wildfire Service are taking it very seriously," said fire information officer Justine Hunse. "We are looking into that situation right now."
Though most of the comments on Clark’s Facebook post were critical, some people jumped to the firefighters’ defence.
“These crews are staying at a campsite with no formal kitchen facilities or wash facilities and are having cold food delivered daily. These are not irresponsible fire fighters having a good time, these are people (locals) working very hard in difficult conditions to protect our lands and resources with minimal support,” wrote one user.
Hunse said there are no exceptions to the campfire ban that allow firefighting crews to cook food.
Officials would not confirm whether they have identified the people in the pictures, and won't be providing further comment until the investigation is complete.
B.C.'s campfire ban was expanded this week to include all areas of the province except Haida Gwaii and the "fog zone" along the west coast of Vancouver Island. People found breaking the ban can be fined up to $1,150, and up to $1 million if the flames spread and result in a wildfire.
