A compost fire that’s been stirring up smoke near Cache Creek all weekend is expected to keep burning for at least a couple more days.

People in Ashcroft and Cache Creek have reported heavy smoke and odour in their neighborhoods to NL News, since the fire started. One Ashcroft resident says he drove past the burn pile on Highway 1 yesterday, and likened the smoke to that of the Elephant Hill wildfire from 2017.

Jim Lambert is the manager of Pacific Substrate, about 10 kilometres east of Cache Creek. He says a compost fire was found on Saturday morning on their property, and says it’ll probably take a couple days yet before the smoke clears and it can be extinguished.

“I’ve never seen this happen in 14 years.”

Lambert says there’s no risk right now of the fire spreading, saying the BC Wildfire Service is monitoring it and would assist if needed. He, and other callers to NL News today, have said that the fire is smoldering and not burning to the extent that it was last night.

He says he’s also not sure how it started but assumes something may have spontaneously combusted in the compost pile.

“We don’t know until we get the smoke cleared. I can’t even get in close enough. Safety is the top issue with my guys who are putting it out, so we don’t know until it’s all put out.”

Lambert says the fire will probably have an impact on business.

“It’s burning the product we sell, it’s certified organic compost and everybody loves it. So probably half of it is going to be gone.

“Nothing I can really do about it, mother nature helped me start it and it’s going to help me end it.”

(Photo: Twitter, @Sol_Rosenburgs)