A small fire southwest of Castlegar near Blueberry Creek — about 5 km west of the Columbia River — is now out.
The fire was started by a group of people who were burning what appeared to be waste or garbage, according to fire information officer Jordan Turner.
A single, three person Initial Attack crew arrived on scene this morning and quickly put it out. The fire was kept to only about two square metres.
“There were a lot of quad bike tracks in the area. It appears this is how they accessed the site,” said Turner by email.
This is the second small fire crews have had to attend in the area over the past week. There have been 273 fires in the Southeast Fire Centre so far this season, burning a total of 548 hectares.
There are no longer campfire bans in any fire centre in B.C. but fires still need to be properly tended to and fully extinguished before they are vacated.
Some tips from the Wildfire Management Branch:
“Careless use of campfires is one of the leading causes of forest fires. When building a campfire, select your campsite carefully. Prepare your campfire by removing all leaves, twigs and other flammable material from the area. Choose a proper fire pit or make a ring of rocks at least three metres from trees, shrubs, structures and debris. Don’t leave a campfire unattended, and do keep a pail of water close by at all times. Be certain your campfire is completely extinguished before you go to bed or leave the area. Pour water on the fire and douse the site thoroughly. Stir the campfire until there are no embers and the ashes are cold to the touch.”
