Tuesday's fire near Campbell Road called a grim reminder just how dry things are

Photo: West Kelowna Fire Rescue

Tuesday's grass fire below Campbell Road was just a blip on what could be the most devastating wildfire season B.C. has ever seen.

But, it also gave West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund a chance to underscore the obvious.

This illustrates how incredibly dry it is out there. All it takes is one tiny spark and we can have a fire," said Brolund.

In this case, it was a spark from a welder someone was using to make repairs on a boat near the hillside.

It's hard to know the exact cause of every fire, however, of the 1,156 wildfires sparked in the province so far, 403 are human caused while the cause of 188 others is unknown.

And, while some of the human caused fires can be deemed accidental, Brolund says there are precautions that need to be taken if people are working with equipment which can cause a spark.

"People should have a fire extinguisher and water standing by. They can wet down the area.

"And, they should always have a lookout. Someone who is standing back from the work being done, and is able to follow through on any sparks that may be created, and knock them down."

In the case of Tuesday's fire, Brolund says that will go down as an accidental event.

"The person that was doing the work had taken preparations in advance and had water nearby, and had demonstrated to us they were aware of the risk and trying to deal with it," he said.

"In this case, it would be deemed as accidental so no fine would be issued."

However, he reminds people fines can be levied by any one of a number of agencies.

A $1,150 ticket can be issued to anyone with an illegal campfire.

Those whose carelessness starts a fire can also be fined for the fire, and for the cost of fighting that fire.