BC Wildfire Service again falls victim to vandalism

The BC Wildfire Service has suffered yet another act of vandalism, this time, a weather compound station was damaged in Bowser, B.C.

According to officials, someone broke into and vandalized the station last week by hopping a five-foot fence into the compound. The vandal broke into the cabinet by bending the door up and then proceeded to remove the power supply by ripping out the wiring.

Repairs are estimated at $1,000, but that does not concern the Wildfire Service. What is more troubling is the safety of fire crews and the public being compromised by the site being offline.

“These sites provide data that is used to calculate indices and fire danger ratings, allowing for crew positioning, public advisories on fire danger, and industry shutdowns,” said the BC Wildfire Service in a statement. “This station even has a sign on it describing its purpose.”

This is the second act of vandalism the Wildfire Service has suffered this summer. In early August, vandals damaged radio equipment on Thompson Mountain, causing $100,000 worth of damage.

Anyone who has information about the vandalism is asked to contact their local RCMP or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.