Burn pile sparks grass fire in Penticton | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Penticton News

Burn pile sparks grass fire in Penticton

Penticton firefighters work to put out a grass fire on Sutherland Avenue, Saturday, April 9, 2016.
Image Credit: Skyar Noe-Vack

PENTICTON – Firefighters managed to stop a grassfire in Penticton from spreading to nearby structures and a boat Saturday afternoon.

Penticton fire crews were called to the blaze on a semi-rural property on Sutherland Road at about 3 p.m., April 9.

Acting Capt. Wes Swaren says a burn pile got out of control and spread to the surrounding grass and a pile of used vehicle batteries.

Swaren says it was a Rank 2 fire, so was starting to burn “up off the ground.”

Firefighters stopped the blaze from spreading to a pleasure boat parked nearby and several structures in the vicinity.

The homeowner was burning without a permit, he says.

Even though it’s cool overnight, Swaren says there is a fire risk, especially once the temperature rises during the day and the morning dew dries up.

“We’ve had a lot of sun in the last couple of weeks and we haven’t had a lot of rain,” he says. “We’ve got a lot of dry fuel from last year that’s overgrown and now it’s dry.”

Penticton firefighters put out a grass fire on Sutherland Avenue Saturday, April 9, 2016.
Penticton firefighters put out a grass fire on Sutherland Avenue Saturday, April 9, 2016.
Image Credit: Skyar Noe-Vack

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News from © iNFOnews, 2016
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