Crews battle wildfire near Merritt, B.C.

This screenshot of a BC Wildfire Service map shows the approximate location of a wildfire burning near Merritt, B.C.

Crews are battling an early spring wildfire near Merritt, B.C., on Wednesday.

BC Wildfire Service has dubbed the blaze the Petit Creek Wildfire, and it’s burning about 16 kilometres west of the city, which is located between Hope and Kamloops in the Nicola Valley.

The fire was discovered around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday evening, and has grown to 3.3 hectares in size, or 33,000 square metres. The fire was downgraded from out of control to “being held” just before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

A fire that is being held is “not likely to spread beyond predetermined boundaries under current conditions,” according to BCWS.

It’s suspected to be human-caused.

BCWS told CTV News in an email there are 16 personnel on site. Firefighters have assessed and felled danger trees, and are building a hand guard around the fire’s perimeter.

In a social media post, the wildfire agency said that in addition to forest fuels, “combustible, non-vegetative” materials are burning within the fire’s perimeter, posing a health and safety hazard for firefighters.

Crews are working where they safely can, “avoiding hazardous smoke and shrapnel from exploding materials,” BCWS wrote.

According to the BCWS website, three new wildfires have sparked in the last 24 hours. None of them are out of control. There are currently 105 active fires in the province, the vast majority of which are holdover fires from the 2023 season.