It appears that firefighters are making progress in fighting a 33 hectare fire that is burning between Jacko Lake and Long Lake Road on the southern outskirts of Kamloops, near Aberdeen.
In a statement, the City of Kamloops says conditions at the Cole Hill fire are improving, noting Kamloops Fire and Rescue and the BC Wildfire Service are both on scene.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the City proactively activated the EOC and was ready to respond to multiple scenarios had the fire became a concern for the community,” a statement from the City said. “The fire did not threaten any homes at any point today. The EOC will be stood down at noon today.”
Will Ciancone, the former manager of the Sugar Loaf Ranch, tells NL News that the fire was first spotted around midnight.
“They’re thinking that we pretty much got a handle on it now,” he said. “It will be contained, I mean they’re going to have to stay on for a while if it is into the trees now and burning into some heavier underbrush, but it has definitely dropped down in size.”
For now, traffic on Goose Lake Road is restricted to local traffic only.
It is not clear what caused the fire or if it is a fresh start or a flare up after a series of suspicious fires yesterday.
“All I can say right now is that KFR Fire Investigators are cooperating with RCMP and at this point, this fire is still under investigation,” Robinson said.
He confirms the fire was burning Rank 1, which is the lowest category, as classified by the Wildfire Service.
(Photo via Will Ciancone)