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UPDATE: 156-hectare fire near Kamloops 80% contained

A 156-hectare fire near Kamloops is 80 per cent contained as of Thursday morning
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UPDATE:

The Dew Drop fire is now marked at 80 per cent contained as of Friday afternoon.

Today, 78 firefighters and three water tenders battled the smouldering ground fire.

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UPDATE:

The Dew Drop fire is still marked at 60 per cent contained Friday morning.

The BC Wildfire Service, in cooperation with BC Parks, had been performing a 25-hectare controlled burn in Lac du Bois Provincial Park near the Dew Drop Trail, taking advantage of an existing wildfire discovered in the area.

The controlled burn was in modified response and began Friday, June 16, however high winds on June 26, combined with hot and dry conditions caused the fire to breach its original prescribed boundary and it was upgraded from a modified response to a full response.

The cause of the original fire is under investigation but is suspected to be human caused.

Today there are 60 firefighters on site.

No structures are threatened as the nearest are about five kilometres away.

Across the Kamloops Fire Centre, the fire-danger ratings range between high and extreme.

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ORIGINAL:

Fire crews have managed to get a 156-hectare fire just west of Kamloops 60 per cent contained.

The Dewdrop Trail wildfire ignited about 12 kilometres west of Kamloops, devouring land in the Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area.

Fire Information Officer Max Birkner said that the B.C. Wildfire Service had begun to gain control of the fire by Wednesday morning.

He explained that a small wildfire was actually started on June 16 that fire crews decided to turn in to a controlled burn given the nearby environment. That controlled burn then got out of hand when winds picked up.

“That is why it grew to the size it did,” said Birkner.

The cause of the initial fire on June 16 is still under investigation, but it is believed to be human caused.

“The fire is currently displaying at a Rank 1, which is a smouldering ground fire,” explained Birkner.

“It has been going for a few days now. We are currently in full response so there are 60 firefighters on site and it is unlikely we will need to send air support today, but we are ready if needed.”

Birkner said ground crews were able to make really good progress, bringing the containment to 60 per cent.

No structures are threatened as Birkner says the nearest are about five kilometres away.

Across the Kamloops Fire Centre, the fire-danger ratings range between high and extreme.


 

@carmenweld
carmen.weld@bpdigital.ca

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