UPDATED:

A new wildfire has been reported this afternoon south of Kamloops, next to the Coquihalla Highway.

Kamloops Fire Rescue and the BC Wildfire Service were both called to the blaze at about 12:30 p.m., which is next to the northbound lanes of the highway, just north of the Inks Lake brake check.

The BC Wildfire Service says the blaze is 0.5 hectares in size and is considered out of control. The service says it has 10 firefighting personnel at the scene who are working with KFR.

The fire is believed to be human caused.

A video of the flames sent to NL News by Kamloops resident Tina Beerda shows some open flame in grasses at the fence line beside the highway, and a ground fire further into the bush.

Beerda took the video from the passenger seat while in the vehicle with her family.

“As we were getting onto the highway from Kamloops at the Pacific Way exit a fire truck came flying by us and onto the highway. We saw the smoke off in the distance and then saw the fire close up,” Beerda says.

The Ministry of Transportation says the slow northbound lane is closed while crews attend to the fire.

(Photo: Tina Beerda)

There’s a small fire on the east side of the #Coquihalla between Chuwhels Mountain Rd and Inks Lake Rd, which has a northbound lane closed. @KamFire is on site and @DriveBC is providing updates: https://t.co/9QEaLN3T4K#BCHwy5 #Kamloops pic.twitter.com/pBiZB5QWUi

— BC Transportation (@TranBC) June 23, 2021