Kamloops fire crews run a test burn in Barnhartvale in preparation for a controlled burn this afternoon.
Image Credit: SOURCE/Kamloops Fire Rescue
April 03, 2013 - 1:47 PM
Kamloops Fire Centre is working at controlling a grass fire north of Cache Creek this afternoon, Wednesday, April 3, after 10-15 kilometer-per-hour winds fueled the aggressive fire to quickly grow to about eight hectares in size.
Fire information officer Michaela Swan says the fire is located near the junction of Hwy 99 and Hwy 97 just north of Cache Creek with one forest officer and two initial attack crews currently working at controlling the fire.
“We are not yet calling it contained,” Swan says, “we are working at controlling it, putting out hot spots along the perimeter.”
The winds have since subsided and the fire is no longer growing at a rapid rate. Contrary to initial reports the fire has not crossed the highway. There were no lightening strikes in the area and as a result the fire is being investigated as human caused. No structures have been threatened by the fire.
Meanwhile in Barnhartvale city crews are looking at a prescribed burn to reduce the amount of dead grass in the area today. The six-hectare grass burn will take place in behind homes near the intersection of Blackwell Road and Barnhartvale Road, near the Dallas Barnhartvale Park. A permit for a 24-hectare burn was originally taken out but after test burns this morning crews decided to limit the burn to a smaller size.
Approximately 20 personnel and equipment from the city, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations, Wildfire Management Branch and contract fire suppression resources are expected to be on site.
To contact a reporter for this story, email jstahn@infotelnews.ca or call (250) 819-3723.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013