Armed man arrested after firefighter threatened in Williams Lake

Smoke from a wildfire near Williams Lake, B.C. is seen in this photo from July 15, 2017.

Mounties have arrested a suspect and seized several guns after a B.C. firefighter's life was threatened in Williams Lake.

The firefighter was working on Springfield Road when a group of men, who appeared to be agitated over back burning in the area, approached him on Monday.

"A man threatened to kill him if they continued back burning. He was accompanied by a group of men, one of whom was apparently carrying a handgun," Staff Sgt. Annie Linteau said.

Back burning is the process of starting small fires to reduce the fuel available to wildfires.

The firefighter reported the incident on Tuesday, and Mounties were quickly able to track down the people involved. Linteau said the man who made the death threat blamed his actions on "extreme stress."

The man who had allegedly been armed was found in possession of a handgun, which officers seized along with another six rifles they found in his vehicle. He is facing undisclosed criminal charges, according to the RCMP.

While the province's wildfire situation is understandably tense for affected residents, Linteau urged everyone to let firefighters do their job undisturbed.

"We know and can appreciate that these wildfires have been stressful on everyone involved, but we have to continue working together to fight them and certainly that includes respecting the firefighters who are out doing their job so everyone has a home to come back to," she said.