Grenade-shaped lighters not ‘clever or funny,’ B.C. police say after tense false alarm on Canada Day

A grenade-shaped lighter is seen in an undated stock image.

Police have issued yet another public warning about weapon-shaped lighters following a tense false alarm that unfolded at a New Westminster, B.C., dog park on Canada Day.

The New Westminster Police Department said officers responded to a 911 call reporting a possible grenade at Ryall Park around 10 a.m. Wednesday.

The call triggered a “rushed” response as police went to secure the area and locate the potential weapon, the department said in a news release Thursday.

The park was reopened after officers determined the source of the concern was a grenade-shaped butane lighter.

“These lighters are as foolish as they are dangerous,” said Sgt. Andrew Leaver in a statement. “These create unnecessary fear. Nothing about them is clever or funny.”

Several B.C. police departments have warned against carrying these types of lighters due to how easily they can be mistaken for actual weapons.

Last year, Vancouver became the first Canadian city to ban the sale of gun-shaped lighters over these concerns.