Oliver RCMP have identified a suspect in the grass fire that started near the Welcome to Oliver sign on Highway 97 on Aug. 6.
The fire was spotted around 7:20 p.m. above the Tumbleweed Mobile Home Park.
“We have identified a suspect and are working on locating him,” said Oliver RCMP Sgt. Don Wigglesworth. RCMP are pursuing this in conjunction with a Natural Resource officer to issue two fines that total $1,725.
One fine for lighting fuel or use fire against restriction carries a $1,150 fine and a failure to report an open fire under the Wild Fire Act which carries a $575 fine.
Luckily, Oliver firefighters were quick to arrive and doused the blaze before it could spread.
The fire department could easily determine that the fire was human-caused and RCMP officers were called to the scene to collect evidence.
The fire was contained to an area 300 feet x 300 feet and burned mostly sage and desert grassland, said Oliver Fire’s Rob Graham.
A person has been known to camp in that area from time to time, said Graham.
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