Another Cigarette?

[westbankkid]

It's about time that if you see someone flicking a lit cigarette out the window, take their licence number and report them. I know I would have the evidence as I use a dashcam. A lot of people are using dashcams as well. They say the Joe Rich fire was caused by a butt.

I for one am sick and tired of these idiots throwing lit cigarettes out of the window. I have seen a couple myself.

[Lady tehMa]

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-143474-1-.htm#143474

A resident of Joe Rich, where an 80-hectare wildfire is burning, says a discarded cigarette is to blame.

John Fergus, said: “My son-in-law, Matt, (was) the second one at the fire. He thought, ‘well I better stop and have a look.’"

Fergus said there was a small area on fire, which quickly started burning off in two separate directions.

“So here’s the cigarette, it took off, and he said he didn’t know which 30 feet to try to put out, and while he was thinking of it, it’s too late, the trees started to candle. So that’s how fast it was.”

B.C. Wildfire Service said Saturday the cause of the fire is still officially under investigation.

Fergus said this isn't the first time he’s dealt with wildfire issues.

“I’ve already been the victim of a fire to the tune of $30,000 because of a discarded cigarette.”

Evacuees are being helped by volunteers at the Emergency Social Services registration centre at Willow Park Church on Highway 33 in Rutland. People who have been evacuated are encouraged to register at the church, so ESS and emergency personnel know everyone is safe.

Catherine Wilson, director of ESS for the Okanagan, said they have had 40 families, or 180 people, register so far.

ESS provides evacuees with vouchers for lodging, clothing, food and other necessities. Wilson said they are encouraging people to find lodging with family and friends if possible, because they are running out of available lodging.

“Without UBCO, we would have been going to group lodging, with people on cots in a gymnasium,” she said.

Wilson said they have no idea how long the evacuation will remain in place, but “as long as people are out of their homes, we’ll be here.”

“Know how appreciative all of us families are who live up there, how much we appreciate how hard these firefighters work,” Fergus said.

“You have to remember that the majority of them up there are volunteers.”

Yet another fire - another expensive fire - caused by a cigarette.

I think it is about time to start thinking proactively about this. We can't stop people from smoking them. I suggest another tax on them, that would go directly into a fire fund. Sure it would raise the price of those little cancer sticks some more, but those who are going to smoke, will smoke regardless. And at least they'd be paying for those foolish number of them who are causing these blasted fires.

What do you think?

[Relentless]

First of all, a resident said "it was caused from a cigarette"
I say it was caused from broken glass and not a cigarette, so lets raise the tax on pop and beer and wine.

Blaming every fire on a cigarette is absolutely ridiculous to say the least.
There was no lightning, so lets automatically blame it on a discarded cigarette.
I am sure there are at least 10 different things that could cause a fire, 9 of them, most people don't think about.
That's what I think !

[Gixxer]

Easy to see who the smoker is.

[cuba108]

I live on a corner lot and can not believe the amount of butts I find on the boulevard and sidewalks. I also wonder about discarded joints, a couple of hours before the Knox Mountain fire I was trail running above the Pavilion and smelt the distinct smell of pot.

[LoneWolf_53]

Easy to see who the smoker is.

Really, not to mention the level of denial that goes along with it.

[oneh2obabe]

Why not wait until the cause is officially determined before jumping down each others throats?

Huckleberry (K50261)
Last updated: Saturday, July 04, 2015 at 8:44 PM
Location: Huckleberry Road, north of Highway 33 near Joe Rich

Cause: Under Investigation
Two fire investigators are on site to determine fire cause.

http://bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/Wildfir ... asp?ID=539

[Bsuds]

Cigarettes are all ready taxed very heavily so I don't see the point in adding more on them. (I am not a smoker)
They should however fine those people throwing anything out of their cars, but we just don't have enough people to enforce that.

[MAPearce]

How sad... A fire starts and someone immediately blames a cigarette ? Easy to see who the NON smoker is.

I say it was caused from broken glass and not a cigarette,

And anyone who doesn't know how that can happen never tried burning paper with a magnifying glass in grade school.

[dieseluphammerdown]

I think it is about time to start thinking proactively about this. We can't stop people from smoking them. I suggest another tax on them, that would go directly into a fire fund. Sure it would raise the price of those little cancer sticks some more, but those who are going to smoke, will smoke regardless. And at least they'd be paying for those foolish number of them who are causing these blasted fires.

What do you think?

This has to be one of the most ridiculous solutions to a problem I have had the privilege of reading on these forums.!
I read *bleep* like this from an obvious NON smoker and wonder why I try to be such a courteous smoker , you know the one that doesn't smoke around crowds of non smokers who wonders away a bit to have his smoke , who discards his butt back in its pack until there is somewhere to properly dispose it,.
Some of us were hooked way back when ,when smoking was socially acceptable and have tried more than once to quit only to be unsuccessful so far.
To blanket us all under the same umbrella and want us to pay for a very small percentage of the ones that carelessly dis guard their butts is offensive and shameful.

I know most are frustrated and worried about all the fires burning this year and rightfully so, but going around making ludicrous ,thoughtless, uneducated, posts is not helping.

[Lady tehMa]

It was not a thoughtless post, I spent a good deal of time thinking about it. Nor am I uneducated. I lived with chain-smoking parents and grandparents, and went through withdrawal when I left home (and never smoked, true). I have seen the damage smoking can cause, first hand.

You cannot deny that fires are caused by smokers. Look at the Barriere fire http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/man-responsible-for-b-c-wildfire-says-he-s-sorry-1.542859 - do you think a $3000 fine covered the damage there? That is when one can find the (ir)responsible party.

I know people affected by these fires. I myself am affected in a secondary manner, in that I have asthma and have troubles leaving the house right now.

I have seen people pitching things from their cars, like burning cigarettes. There are irresponsible people everywhere. I am simply suggesting a way to cover the expense of something necessary. As Bsuds said

They should however fine those people throwing anything out of their cars, but we just don't have enough people to enforce that.

Does anyone else have any ideas on how we can pay for these fires?

[dieseluphammerdown]

It was not a thoughtless post, I spent a good deal of time thinking about it. Nor am I uneducated. I lived with chain-smoking parents and grandparents, and went through withdrawal when I left home (and never smoked, true). I have seen the damage smoking can cause, first hand.

You cannot deny that fires are caused by smokers. Look at the Barriere fire http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/man-responsible-for-b-c-wildfire-says-he-s-sorry-1.542859 - do you think a $3000 fine covered the damage there? That is when one can find the (ir)responsible party.

I know people affected by these fires. I myself am affected in a secondary manner, in that I have asthma and have troubles leaving the house right now.

I have seen people pitching things from their cars, like burning cigarettes. There are irresponsible people everywhere. I am simply suggesting a way to cover the expense of something necessary.

Does anyone else have any ideas on how we can pay for these fires?

So lets up insurance rates on vehicles because people who start forest fires while camping drove their , so all drivers must pay for the few bad apples.! (you cannot deny people that drive to camping stops start forest fires.}


Hell lets just tax everything more because tax more is the answer to everything.

[Gixxer]

Fact is numerous forest fires have been started by ignorant brain dead smokers throwing their cigarette butts out the window.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/man-respo ... y-1.542859

[the truth]

smokers the world is there ashtray

[dieseluphammerdown]

Fact is numerous forest fires have been started by ignorant brain dead smokers throwing their cigarette butts out the window.

Fact is numerous forest fires have been started by brain dead campers leaving campfires un attended, so maybe all camping supplies should be taxed heavier to pay for the cost of fighting forest fires.
Makes about as much sense as taxing all smokers more because of the actions of a few.