The B.C. Conservation Officer Service said the fines were related to eight illegal campfires, all located in the South Coast, Thompson-Cariboo and Omineca regions.
Insp. Tobe Sprado said campers should be aware that conservation officers are doing nighttime patrols in the backcountry, and will not hesitate to issue steep fines for illegal fires.
"We don't, as a rule, give written warnings unless there's some exceptional circumstance, and that's primarily due to the fact that if a campfire got out of control, it could potentially cost millions of dollars," said Sprado, who works in the Okanagan region.
Campers caught violating an open burning prohibition in the province face a $1,150 fine, and potentially an additional administrative penalty of up to $10,000.
Those who are convicted in court can face even steeper fines of up to $100,000, plus a potential sentence of one year behind bars. Should an illegal campfire spread and cause a wildfire, those responsible can also be on the hook for any subsequent firefighting costs.
Sprado said officers are currently patrolling the backcountry until around midnight, but will also respond to any complaints they receive from witnesses regardless of the hour.
"Just be prepared because Conservation Officer Service officers are out there," he said.
On Monday, officials implemented a province-wide campfire ban, with an exemption for Haida Gwaii, warning that tinder-dry conditions have increased the risk of human-caused wildfires.
Officials noted 115 new fires started during a weekend of lightning storms in the province, prompting evacuation orders and alerts in B.C.'s northwest, northeast and Cariboo regions.
"We do not have the capacity right now to respond to fires that we can prevent," said Cliff Chapman of the B.C. Wildfire Service.
With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Lisa Steacy
