Update, 2:00 p.m.
The Campbell Mountain Landfill is operating normally again after a large fire overnight Sunday.
The Western News previously reported that a large landfill fire forced emergency crews to battle it overnight.
The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS) explained in a release Monday (Sept. 14) that the landfill is operating normally again following the fire, which took from 10:30 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. to extinguish.
“Heavy equipment operators at the landfill helped smother the fire and bury remaining embers. There was no damage to structures or equipment. The cause of the fire is not known at this time,” reads their release.
Original:
A fire which broke out last Sunday at the Reservoir Road landfill in Penticton forced emergency crews to battle it overnight.
A large wood pile at the landfill, Penticton Fire Department chief Larry Watkinson explained, was fully engulfed in fire when they arrived.
The fire consumed an area estimated to be a couple hundred feet by a couple hundred feet.
Crews arrived around 11 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13, and didn’t leave the scene until early Monday morning.
Watkinson explained that the fire grew to a large size before it was even discovered, due to the heavy wildfire smoke already present in town.
“When we got on scene the whole thing was involved in fire…we just spent all night on it, just trying to keep it controlled,” said Watkinson.
READ MORE: U.S. wildfire smoke blankets B.C., wafts east to Alberta, affecting air quality
Although it was large, the fire chief said they were able to keep it contained within the landfill. The Naramata Fire Department assisted the Penticton crews with their water truck.
The fire department is still unsure how the fire started.
“In the landfill, there’s so many ways it can ignite, with people leaving debris there, cigarette butts, whatever, you name it,” he said.
“We have heavy machinery in there pulling things apart, it’s just not practical to try and investigate it.
No structures were threatened in the fire, and nobody was injured as a result.
Watkinson said it’s important the public is mindful of the smoke conditions right now.
“We’re still in wildfire season. If you see something, or you’re unsure, it’s better for you to call for us to investigate, because you’re not going to see a hill fire, a fire on the hillside,” Watkinson said.
“Be smart about it, and if you’re unsure, call for assistance and we’ll go check it out.”
READ MORE: Large CN Rail train derailment sends 20 cars off the track near Hope
@PentictonNews editor@pentictonwesternnews.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
