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Crews responding to wildfire near Castlegar

B.C. Wildfire aerial attack began within 30 minutes of discovery

Crews are responding to a wildfire, just west of Castlegar Saturday evening.

B.C. Wildfire Service notes the fire was discovered just before 5 p.m. Aug. 5 near Merry Creek.

Castlegar Fire Department is approaching from several directions, and the Southeast Fire Centre began to send helicopters, water bombers, water skimmers and surveillance aircraft within 30 minutes.

Aircraft continued to attack the fire until about 7:15 p.m.

Crews responding to a wildfire just west of Castlegar, Aug. 5, 2023. Photo: Betsy Kline
Crews responding to a wildfire just west of Castlegar, Aug. 5, 2023. Photo: Betsy Kline

Ground crews, including the Castlegar Fire Department, took over at that point.

B.C. Wildfire says the fire is human caused.

Castlegar fire crews have already been busy this week, with a string of suspicious fires.

By Friday morning, Castlegar Fire Department had put out its fifth suspicious fire in less than a week.

Castlegar RCMP have identified a “person of interest” in relation to a number of suspicious fires in the Castlegar area in recent months.

Crews responding to a wildfire just west of Castlegar, Aug. 5, 2023. Photo: Betsy Kline
Crews responding to a wildfire just west of Castlegar, Aug. 5, 2023. Photo: Betsy Kline

More to come.

READ MORE: Castlegar firefighters respond to 5th suspicious fire this week

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Fire near Merry Creek. Map: B.C. Wildfire

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