Two homes were destroyed by a grass fire in in Lillooet, Thursday, July 21, 2017.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Kevin Goforth
July 21, 2017 - 1:18 PM
LILLOOET - Two homes have been destroyed in Lillooet after flames from a grass fire blew toward the structures yesterday.
Lillooet Fire Chief Darren Oike says crews responded to a grass fire around 2:20 a.m. Thursday, July 20, and when they arrived they saw structures in a trailer park in flames.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Kevin Goforth
"With gusting winds it actually pushed the fire into a few structures there in the trailer park," Oike says. Firefighters had the blaze out quickly and spent yesterday dealing with hot spots and mopping up.
Oike says there was no lightning in the area at the time and crews are treating the blaze as suspicious.
Tribal Police and RCMP also attended to evacuate a nearby apartment building, two townhouse complexes, the trailer park itself and a neighbourhood above the fire.
With dry and windy conditions, crews also put a nearby seniors home and hospital on evacuation alert as a precaution.
One of the reasons crews are treating the blaze as suspicious is because the park is in a low-traffic area with limited public access, Oike says.
"Be vigilant about suspicious activity, keep your eyes and ears open," Oike says.
He says that in these weather conditions grass fires can quickly grow into something much bigger, and much harder to control.
Homeowners should FireSmart their home to protect their property from wildfires.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2017