Ignorance to B.C.鈥檚 campfire ban has landed three local youth in hot water.

RCMP and Coldstream Fire Department were called out shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday night to a spot approximately one kilometre in on the Okanagan Rail Trail.

鈥淭here were three males having a campfire,鈥� said fire chief David Sturgeon, adding that alcohol was also involved.

Each of the males, believed to be local residents, were issues $1,150 tickets for failure to comply with the fire ban.

鈥淚t sounded like they weren鈥檛 too cooperative in the beginning. They didn鈥檛 seem too remorseful.鈥�

The three males, in their late teens or early 20s, claimed their fire was small.

But with dry grass and houses in the area, it wouldn鈥檛 take much for a spark to spread and cause devastation.

鈥淣o fire doesn鈥檛 mean have a small fire,鈥� said Sturgeon.

鈥淚f your fire had taken off, even unintentionally, it鈥檚 a $1 million dine right now and potentially time in jail. Is a campfire really worth it?鈥�

While RCMP have greater authority, in Coldstream there is zero tolerance and first offences result in a $200 fine.

鈥淚f we get called out again you get charged all the trucks and manpower,鈥� said Sturgeon of the $500-$1,000/hour cost per truck.

He said it鈥檚 only happened once in his time with the department, where a $6,000 bill was issued.