Make sure your quads and dirtbikes are fitted with spark arresters or risk a hefty fine.
Effective immediately, the item - a small screen or other device installed in an exhaust system to stop sparks or other residue from exiting the tailpipe - is no longer optional under toughened rules unveiled Thursday by the provincial government.
A contravention could result in a violation ticket fine of $460 or an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 if an off-road vehicle without the device is found at a time or place where there is a risk of a wildfire starting.
And if a wildfire starts, the rider could receive a violation ticket fine of $575, an administrative monetary penalty of up to $10,000, or a court fine up to $1,000,000 and up to three years in jail.
The stricter rules and heightened fines come into effect as part of a strategy to prevent a repeat of the wildfires that struck the province this past summer.
"These changes reflect the tougher stand that our government is taking to eliminate unnecessary wildfire risks, encourage compliance, protect communities from harm and help keep British Columbians safe," Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Doug Donaldson said in a press release.
Many new models of off-road vehicles already have a spark arrester. Owners of older models that do not have spark arresters will need to get them installed if they want to ride on Crown land.
Some other changes are also now in effect:
- The Wildfire Regulation has been amended to add a new administrative penalty of up to $100,000 for violations related to utility transmission operations.
Examples would be when a wildfire is started by a downed power line, or when vegetation near a utility line has not been adequately maintained and a tree falls on an energized line, starting a fire. Similar provisions are already in place for other industrial activities.
- The Wildfire Regulation has also been amended to add a new administrative penalty of up to $10,000 for not complying with a stop-work order.
- The penalty has been increased to $1,150 from $767 for violating orders and restrictions imposed under the Wildfire Act.
