Give butt-tossers some time in jail

Dear Editor: It’s time for our lawmakers to get serious and pass some laws with stiffer penalties for those who chose to ignore and violate them.

Since the Kelowna fire, we have all paid more attention to the wildfire season and they seem to be getting more common and progressively worse

Whether you choose to blame it on global climate change or something else, it seems that these fires affect a greater number of people and cause more damage as the years progress.

Consider the current number of fire evacuees in our province, coupled with the cost in property loss and expense in fighting the fires; it is sickening to hear how as many as half of these fires were human caused.

To think that a handful of ignorant people can inflict so much pain and cost onto so many is nothing short of criminal. Our laws should make it so.

Take leniency out of the hands of our judges and make infractions carry a mandatory jail sentence along with a monetary fine.

Tossing a cigarette butt or having a campfire when there is a ban on should carry a minimum 30 days in jail and a minimum $1,000 fine even if the infraction did not cause a fire.

It might make at least some of the offenders think twice before they act in a reckless manner.

When these infractions actually cause a fire and those who violated the laws are identified, the sentences should then reflect what the end cost and burden on the public.

Maybe if the public saw someone get a 10-year-jail sentence for causing a fire, the message would be taken seriously and people would be more cautious and respectful of the laws and our forests. Why has this not already happened? It would take the will of our politicians to do so and to date they have not been motivated enough to do so.

In the meantime, why not be vigilant and report the licence plate number of any vehicle you see a butt being tossed from, or call the police if you see someone starting a campfire. Guy Bissonnette Lake Country