A quick-thinking landowner and local firefighters have been praised for their timely response to a structure fire amid extreme fire danger.
At 2 p.m. Sunday, the Jaffray Fire Department was called to a small structure fire in a pump house on a property along Highway 3/93 near Little Sand.
The fire was caused by a pump failure and was contained by the landowner until crews arrived.
A total of six firefighters and three pieces of apparatus were involved in the response, and the fire was out by about 5 p.m.
Elk Valley and South Country Rural Fire and Rescue Service Fire Chief Dave Boreen said the damage could have been much worse.
“This is another example of how quick actions by both the landowner and the fire department helped prevent a fire from becoming a much more serious situation,” he said.
“It was a hot day with gusting winds and everyone involved did a great job today.”
The BC Wildfire Service has raised the fire danger rating for the Elk Valley and South Country to extreme over the next three days.
Open burns are prohibited, however, campfires are still allowed.
A Category 2 open fire, as defined in the Wildfire Regulation (s.1), is an open fire, other than a campfire, that burns:
(a) material in one pile not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
(b) material concurrently in 2 piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width, or
(c) stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 ha.
This is in addition to the Category 3 open burning ban that was put in place on June 8.
Visit the BC Wildfire Service website for more information.
