An unknown person, or persons, appear to be the reason a fire was sparked near Gorge Creek in West Trail the morning of Sunday, June 27.
“The cause of this fire is still under investigation but it is believed to have been caused by improper use of fire,” BC Wildfire spokesperson Kelsey Winter told the Trail Times. “It was not a cigarette, but someone using fire in an unsafe way.”
As heavy smoke filled the valley by noon that day, a rapid and coordinated effort by crews from the BC Wildfire Service and Kootenay Boundary Fire Rescue stopped the hillside wildfire from spreading into the city.
Thirty firefighters attended, including 13 from the province.
The fire burnt roughly 0.4 hectares before crews had it under control in the early afternoon.
The tough terrain made it difficult to action this fire, said Grant Tyson, regional fire captain.
Read more: Crews mop-up after Sunday wildfire in Trail
Read more: Castlegar mayor: ‘We got lucky this time’
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