Evac looters arrested

RCMP across the Interior have arrested as many as 10 people for various criminal acts within areas evacuated due to wildfires.

During a media briefing Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner Brenda Butterworth-Carr, said people have been arrested inside evacuated areas from Williams Lake to 100 Mile House for break and enter, breach and mischief.

She said most are locals known to police.

At least five individuals were arrested during four separate incidents in 100 Mile House. Police there say one man was arrested in possession of an ATV, believed to have been stolen.

Three others are still at large after attempting to break into a Telus vehicle. Telus employees interrupted them before they could steal anything.

During Tuesday's briefing, Butterworth-Carr said RCMP have been deployed throughout the province to assist with evacuations, 24-hour patrols in the evacuated areas, managing traffic congestion, road safety and general emergency response. As many as 300 additional officers have or will be deployed.

"We also want to emphasize that we are prioritizing public and officer safety and wellness. A large portion of the resources deployed at the moment are from specialized units such as the tactical troop and traffic services," said Butterworth-Carr.

"Tactical troops are specialized units that are trained and equipped to deal with emergency situations and are essentially self-sufficient."

She also stated two officers have lost homes in the wildfires, however, no members have been injured thus far.