# Claim table — wildfire penalties and human-caused fires

| Claim / issue | Evidence | BCFires finding |
|---|---|---|
| Mayor Tom Dyas said 46% of wildfires since 2021 were human-caused. | Browser-visible Facebook capture. | Preserved as the source claim. Official BCWS annual table captured here lists 2021: 633/1,647 (38%), 2022: 578/1,801 (32%), 2023: 609/2,293 (26%), 2024: 511/1,697 (30%). Weighted across those four completed seasons: 2,331/7,438, about 31.3%. |
| B.C.’s current 10-year average is about 40% human-caused. | BCWS Wildfire Averages page. | Supported: BCWS says the current 10-year average, 2014 to 2024, is 1,527 wildfires and, on average, 40% human-caused and 60% lightning-caused. |
| Open fire is the largest cause of human-caused fires provincially. | B.C. Fire Prohibitions and Restrictions page. | Supported: the official page says open fire is the largest cause of human-caused fires provincially and that human-caused fires are entirely preventable. |
| Fire-ban violations can bring meaningful penalties already. | B.C. Fire Prohibitions and Restrictions page; Wildfire Act; Wildfire Regulation. | Supported. The B.C. page says contravening an open-fire prohibition can mean a $1,150 ticket, $10,000 administrative penalty, or up to $100,000 and/or one year in jail on conviction. If the fire causes or contributes to a wildfire, up to $1 million and/or up to three years plus firefighting/associated costs may apply. |
| Okanagan leaders are asking for harsher penalties. | Mayor Dyas Facebook post/Castanet graphic. | Supported as a public political request; BCFires did not locate a province bill or formal order changing penalties in this pass. |