Just hours after the RDEK issued a plea to residents to use extreme caution when doing outdoor burning, another grass fire broke out in the region.
The first fire of the day on Tuesday, April 2nd occurred near Jaffray, while the same evening, it was a crew from the Fairmont Fire Department that responded to an out of control grass fire near Columbia Ridge.
“The fire appears to have been lit and left before escaping. When we arrived neighbours were working on the fire with garden hoses and rakes and did a good job of containing it,” says Columbia Valley Rural Fire & Rescue Chief Jim Miller.
Chief Miller and six other firefighters continued to work the burned area this evening ensuring hot spots were dealt with.
“There is no excuse for leaving a fire or for lighting a fire without taking the proper safety precautions,” stresses Chief Miller. “This is yet another example where the fast action of neighbours and the quick response of our crews helped contain what could have been a much more serious
situation.”
Later in the evening, Windermere firefighters responded when an abandoned campfire spread on the Akiqnuk reserve. The fire was spotted by a passerby who stayed on scene until Windermere firefighters arrived and doused the flames.