Government introduces a new website with the latest wildfire information and heftier penalties

    Thursday, 11 June 2026 06:00

    By Tonya Organ

    The penalty for deliberately setting a fire now ranges from $100,000 to $500,000 and a new offence has been created for recklessly or negligently starting a forest fire with fines from $50,000 to $150,000.

    It’s wildfire season and government has a new website where people can get the most up to date information like the daily wildfire risk, active wildfires, stats, and prevention guidelines. There are also some new penalties with hefty fines. The new Wildfire Prevention and Management website is a one-stop resource for forest fire season information. It also highlights updated legislation and penalties that came into force June 3rd.  Fireworks and sky lanterns are now banned when the Fire Weather Index is high, very high, or extreme. Sawmills must be 30 metres away from flammable materials and owners must develop sawmill residue management plans. The penalty for deliberately setting a fire now ranges from $100,000 to $500,000 and a new offence has been created for recklessly or negligently starting a forest fire with fines from $50,000 to $150,000.  As well, minimum penalties of $50,000 now apply to other high-risk activities such as lighting a fire without a proper permit to burn or leaving a fire unattended. 

     

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