| 2003 Barriere-McLure Wildfire | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | July 30, 2003 |
| Location | North Thompson Valley, British Columbia |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | 65,285 acres (26,420 ha) |
| Land use | Parkland, Rural, Farmland |
| Impacts | |
| Structures destroyed | 81 |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Cigarette |
In the hot dry summer of 2003, a fire began to burn in the North Thompson Valley which destroyed numerous homes and businesses. This wildfire started when Mike Barre threw his cigarette butt into the grass on his property in McLure BC. The fire resulted in the loss of 72 houses, 9 businesses, and 180 jobs in the North Thompson Valley.[1] The fire cost $31.1 million CAD to extinguish and caused an additional $8.2 million CAD in property damage. Provincial court Judge Sundhu sentenced Mike Barre to pay a $3000 CAD fine. Barre could have been sentenced to a $1-million fine and as much as three years in prison.