A grass fire got out of control at a residence on Mercer Road east of 100 Mile House last Thursday and burned part way down a ravine.
100 Mile House Fire-Rescue chief Darrell Blades says the call came in at 2:35 p.m. on April 21, and three units and eight firefighters responded to the scene.
A homeowner was burning grass when it got out of control and spread into some adjacent underbrush, he explains.
While this fire wasn’t very large and was handled by the crews on scene within about 40 minutes, Blades notes it was initially spread by the wind.
“People need to be aware of the wind conditions when burning.”
He explains that inside the municipality, grass and slash burning are not allowed unless in an industrial agriculture zone, and a permit is required, as is the case for a campfire, too.
Outside of the district limits, burning reverts to forestry regulations, which requires permits for grass burning over 0.2 hectare or for burn piles greater two metres high by three metres wide (category 3).
However, Blades adds he expects allowable slash and grass burning will end shortly for the duration of the dry season.
