Three charged in northern Ont. for having campfire during fire ban
Three people have been charged this week after having campfires during the fire ban and one person could be fined up to $25,000 or face jail time.
ELLIOT LAKE
Ontario Provincial Police said officers were on patrol in the northeastern community of Elliot Lake on Wednesday night when they came upon people having a campfire.
The illegal campfire was spotted near Spruce Beach around 9:30 p.m. May 31, the day after the municipal fire ban went into effect and the day before the regional fire ban was declared by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
"Police recognized the individuals and knew they were breaching prior release conditions by being together. Additionally, there were arrest warrants out for one of the two and a subsequent arrest was made," OPP said in a news release.
A 53-year-old man was charged with two counts of failing to comply with a probation order.
Elliot Lake Fire Chief John Thomas told CTV News in a phone interview charges are being laid against two people in connection to the municipal fire ban.
Thomas said the penalty is $500 each.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Due to the extreme forest fire hazard northeastern Ontario has been declared a restricted fire zone.
"No open-air burning, including campfires, is permitted within the boundaries of a restricted fire zone. Portable gas or propane stoves may be used for cooking and warmth, but must be handled with extreme caution," MNRF said.
"All burning permits are suspended. The restricted fire zone is in place until further notice."
OTTO TOWNSHIP
A third person was charged Thursday for having a fire in the Timiskaming District.
Officers from the Kirkland Lake OPP detachment received a complaint June 1 about a person having a fire during the regional fire ban.
"As a result, a 43-year-old person, from Otto Township, has been charged with unlawfully start(ing) fire in a restricted fire zone," OPP said on social media.
"Once a restricted fire zone is declared, it is illegal to set a fire for any purpose within the affected area unless specific conditions have been met," MNRF said.
The penalty they could be facing is a fine of up to $25,000, three months in jail and/or financial responsibility for any costs incurred in fighting a forest fire.
FOREST FIRES IN THE NORTHEAST
Eight new wildfires were confirmed in the northeast on Thursday and there are currently 11 active fires in the north.
Wawa 3, a fire that started near White River May 27 has grown to 6,810.6 hectares and is still out of control.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.