225625
225768
Penticton  

Three men worked to control a small wildfire near Naramata Sunday morning before firefighters arrived

Locals fight fire for hours

UPDATE: 1:30 p.m.

Three quick-thinking men spent several hours Sunday morning working to contain a small fire near Naramata.

In a post to the Naramata party line Facebook page Sunday, Patrick Schaffer said Martin Gibbs, Don March and himself were in the area collecting fire wood at about 6 a.m. when they first noticed smoke above the KVR Trail.

Gibbs reported the fire to the BC Wildfire Service, and the three men headed towards the smoke.

They discovered a burned out minivan and a fire that had spread to the nearby trees.

“We contained the fire by digging a perimeter and dousing hot spots as much as we could,” Schaffer wrote. “Thankfully the dam was in close proximity so we could refill the 5-gallon jerry can we had with ourselves.”

Schaffer said the BCWS crews arrived at the scene at about 10 a.m. and took over from the three men. As of noon Sunday, the BCWS has classified the fire as “under control,” and firefighters remain on scene looking for hot spots.

Schaffer, Gibbs and March have been praised online for their hard work.

“Thank you very much, this is so huge,” one woman responded to the Facebook post. “Has anyone bought you fellas a beer or something yet?”

“Home town heroes!” wrote another.


UPDATE: 12:15 p.m.

BC Wildfire Service crews have the new fire burning above Naramata "under control," as of noon Sunday.

The small fire is believed to have been human caused, although fire information officer Aydan Coray did not know what started the fire.

After a helicopter bucketed the spot-sized fire earlier Sunday, fire firefighters spent the morning getting the fire under control. The fire is not expected to spread any further.

“Crews have put in a hand guard and they're starting patrol for any remaining hot spots within the perimeter,” Coray said.


ORIGINAL: 11:20 a.m.

A new wildfire has been sparked in the hills above Naramata.

The fire was first discovered early Sunday morning, and five BC Wildfire Service firefighters are currently working to put out the blaze.

A helicopter was also bucketing the fire earlier this morning.

As of 10 a.m., the fire was estimated to be just 0.04 hectares in size. The fire is believed to have been human caused.

It appears to be burning just east of the KVR Trail.



More Penticton News

229439