'POS Scum:' MLA offers $5,000 reward after thieves steal equipment from Summerland wildfire crews

PENTICTON — Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee is personally offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of whoever stole critical firefighting equipment from crews battling the Bald Range wildfire.The BC NDP MLA posted the offer Thursday on X after the BC Wildfire Service reported that pumps and other suppression equipment had been taken from the fireground. The thefts are disrupting efforts to contain a blaze that has already destroyed or damaged about 150 structures.“The vast majority of people are good. Particularly in Penticton, Summerland, Faulder and Meadow valley,” Boultbee wrote. “These are a ‘salt of the Earth’ people and community who are going through unimaginable loss right now.”“Which is why it is so beyond infuriating that some POS scum of the earth stole some important and expensive firefighting equipment from us. $5,000 reward payable by me personally to the person who comes forward and identifies the person/persons responsible and leads to their arrest.”.In a follow-up post she added they “better hope the police find them first.”BC Wildfire Service spokesperson Erin Catherall confirmed the thefts during a Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen livestream Wednesday. “These thefts are disrupting suppression efforts, removing some of the critical equipment we need for our suppression activity on the fire,” she said.The stolen items, including pumps, are clearly marked as BC Wildfire Service or Government of BC property. Officials have asked anyone with information to contact the RCMP non-emergency line rather than BC Wildfire Service.The Bald Range wildfire, discovered August 7, was estimated at 22,693 hectares as of Wednesday and remains out of control. Persistent hot, dry conditions have continued to challenge crews on the south and west flanks.Preliminary estimates put the number of structures damaged or destroyed at about 150. Roughly 110 of those are in Electoral Area F, including Faulder and Meadow Valley, with about 40 inside the District of Summerland.Most of Summerland has been allowed to return home. Some rural properties remain under evacuation order while crews deal with dangerous trees, power infrastructure and other hazards.Boultbee was first elected in October 2024 as a Conservative Party of BC candidate, defeating the NDP’s Tina Lee by 317 votes. She later sat as an Independent before joining the BC NDP caucus on July 3.

'POS Scum:' MLA offers $5,000 reward after thieves steal equipment from Summerland wildfire crews

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