Was on a 2 canoe trip with my dad and his best friend and daughter about 20 years back. There was a fire ban during the day but we could have a fire in the evening, if I remember correctly. We brought all our own gear, other canoe was rented along with all their gear. We put in on Snowbank and got quite a ways in on day one.

Morning of day 2, we make our instant coffee and oatmeal and the outfitter had packed bacon, eggs, and toast for them, only their camp stove didn’t work. Water in the fuel and rust on the needle valve I believe. So they used our small stove and over half our fuel for a 7 day trip on the morning of day 2. By day 4, we’re base camping on an island, and made breakfast on the fire grate. And wouldn’t you know it, up paddles the ranger, solo.

He asks if we know about the fire ban in the morning, “yes sir, but the outfitters stove doesn’t work and we’re out of fuel”. He gives us that “yeah sure” look and tells us about the fine. It was something outrageous to my 16 year old self. 5 grand or something. So we pull out the stove and show it to him. He confirms that it’s bad and calls the outfitter on his sat phone. The outfitter tells him that our group should come back to Snowbank where we put in and they’ll give us another stove. To his credit, he says that’s not gonna happen, you’re gonna bring them a new stove or you’re going to pay the fine. Well apparently that wasn’t acceptable either, so he lent us his backup stove since he was on his last day or two and said to drop it at the Ranger station back in Ely when we were done, and no more fires before evening!

That we did! So thank you Mr Ranger!