As if the risk of losing their homes isn鈥檛 enough, wildfire evacuees in B.C. have faced the additional threat of looters searching through their belongings after they rushed to safety.

Rob Gordon, a criminologist at Simon Fraser University in Surrey, says looting is an unfortunate but routine part of virtually every natural disaster, from fires to floods, hurricanes to earthquakes.

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鈥淚t鈥檚 predatory behaviour of the worst kind,鈥� Gordon said, adding that looters are opportunists.

鈥淭here is nothing especially organized. People just see a chance to make off with somebody else鈥檚 possessions, and they鈥檒l do it if they can get away with it.鈥�

The RCMP said they have arrested a half-dozen people accused of exploiting the disaster over the past week.

Emergency officials have ordered thousands of residents to lock up and leave since the province declared a state of emergency on July 7 after hundreds of fires started across B.C.鈥檚 central and southern Interior.

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Gordon said looters are often locals who have had an eye on a particular house or business. Besides cash, the most likely items to be stolen are typically small, portable and easy to resell, such as electronics, jewelry and guns, he said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a market in firearms,鈥� he explained. 鈥淎nd they鈥檙e, generally speaking, quite easy to move.鈥�

To help prevent looting, Gordon would like to see police train volunteer safety officers who would remain in their communities during an emergency, when it鈥檚 safe to do so.

鈥淢y betting is there would be a lot of people willing to go back into their communities to protect their property and the property of their neighbours,鈥� he said, comparing it to a volunteer firefighting program.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a model of emergency service which is already in place in many respects,鈥� Gordon said of auxiliary policing systems. 鈥淎 lot of communities have them. The Gulf Islands have them. I鈥檓 just surprised that is not the case in the Interior.鈥�

Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson said he has been receiving reports of 鈥渇ake fire marshals鈥� knocking on doors telling residents their street is under an evacuation alert.

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鈥淲e believe that these are people potentially looking for opportunities to rob vacant homes,鈥� Simpson said.

鈥淢ost of my thoughts are unprintable. I think it鈥檚 unconscionable that these individuals take advantage of this situation.鈥�

Swindlers are not necessarily always on the ground when emergencies hit. Evan Kelly of the Better Business Bureau warned about scam artists who set up fake crowdfunding websites to take money illegally.

鈥淚t really comes down to the emotional aspect, and that鈥檚 what scammers are trying to capitalize on here,鈥� he said, describing such cons as 鈥渢he lowest of the low.鈥�

Kelly encouraged people interested in donating online to contribute to charities that have registered with the Canada Revenue Agency. Door-to-door solicitors should be able to provide a tax receipt immediately without leaving the front step, he added.

Geordon Omand, The Canadian Press

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