A fast-growing wildfire that broke out in B.C.’s Southern Interior over the weekend is burning less than a kilometre away from homes, but officials don’t believe it poses an imminent threat.
The blaze was reported just north of Princeton along the Princeton-Summerland Highway around 5 p.m. Sunday, and expanded to roughly 182 hectares overnight.
The Wildfire Management Branch said there’s a mix of homes and outbuildings around 500-600 metres from the flames, and crews spent Monday preparing for worst-case scenarios.
“They’re setting up sprinklers and guards in that area so if the fire does encroach there’ll be protection,” Fire Information Officer Kayla Pepper said.
Despite containment efforts, the fire was burning completely out-of-control as of Monday afternoon. Pepper said the flames aren’t headed in the direction of any homes, however, and no evacuation orders or alerts have been issued.
More than 30 firefighters from the Kamloops Fire Centre and the Princeton and Erris fire departments have been dispatched to the blaze. Officials said crews will also be assisted by airtankers and one helicopter as needed.
Pepper blamed the fire’s spread on an abundance of dry grass and timber, steep slopes in the area, and a shift in wind direction that helped fan the flames to new areas overnight.
“There was a full 180. It went from heading northeast to southwest,” she said.
Investigators are still working to determine how the fire started, but it’s believed to be human-caused.
There are 128 active fires burning across B.C.
