B.C. Wildfire crews find weed in the Okanagan wild

PENTICTON – A grow-op in the woods above Naramata was discovered by B.C. Wildfire crews who were called to the area to fight a small wildfire yesterday.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Kurt Lozinski says members were called after firefighters tending a small wildfire made the discovery on Tuesday afternoon, July 7. The firefighters were in the vicinity of Smethurst Road and the Cottonwood Trail and the Kettle Valley Railway.

The firefighters found a plot of approximately 100 marijuana plants deep in the woods.

“We attended and basically disposed of the plants locally up there. There are no charges because the plot was on Crown land and there’s no way of putting in on anybody,” Lozinski says.

Firefighters were able to contain the blaze quickly, Lozinski says, commending the firefighters on their quick response in spite of the hot weather. He estimates the fire to have been about half a hectare in size.

Lozinski says it's so dry in the area, the fire could have been started by virtually anything.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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7 responses

  1. I would have done the same if it was me.

  2. they burned them,hopefully in a joint or a blunt.

  3. The plants were probably watered well, even irrigated, which would help save the forest from fire, yes? ;)

  4. Crown land hey, didn’t know the Crown or the government were growing weed. lol

  5. wait there is someone growing weed in BC no way that would never Happen here.

Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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