Kimberley Fire Chief Rick Prasad says that the BC Wildfire service was actioning a small (.3 hectare) fire on St. Mary Lake Road, quite close to the Mathew Creek Road turnoff on Wednesday.
“It’s not far off St. Mary Lake Road,” Prasad said Wednesdsay afternoon. “Right now BC Wildfire is actioning it with a crew. They are reporting it is under control, with no determination of cause.”
The fire is not within Kimberley city limits, Prasad says.
Ashley Davidoff, with the Southeast Fire Centre, says an initial attack crew of three firefighters have the blaze under control.
The fire was less than a hectare in size but is suspected to be human-caused, Davidoff said.
Crews also responded to a fire near Burnett Creek discovered Tuesday that reached roughly a hectare in size, but is now out, added Davidoff. That fire is also suspected to be human-caused.
The Fire Danger Rating in much of the East Kootenay is currently High, with pockets of Extreme. There are some areas where the rating is still moderate.
Davidoff says the Southeast Fire Centre considers factors such as temperatures, lack of precipitation and winds when assessing the Fire Danger rating. Given the conditions, she added a campfire ban could be a possibility sometime in the coming weeks.
High: Forest fuels are very dry and the fire risk is serious. New fires may start easily, burn vigorously, and challenge fire suppression efforts. Extreme caution must be used in any forest activities. Open burning and industrial activities may be restricted.
Extreme: Extremely dry forest fuels and the fire risk is very serious. New fires will start easily, spread rapidly, and challenge fire suppression efforts. General forest activities may be restricted, including open burning, industrial activities and campfires.