Huckleberry wildfire danger snuffed out

JOE RICH – The danger is over and the displaced residents are back at home.

The Huckleberry wildfire just east of Kelowna is completely contained and in mop up stage.

The remainder of the evacuation alerts were removed Monday afternoon.

Thirty-five firefighters remain on scene, digging up and hosing down the many lingering hot spots.

The blaze scorched 55 hectares of timber and brush, but no structures were lost, although the flames came within a few metres of some homes.

“It’s a success story, no question,” says Forest Service Incident Commander Dale Bojahra. “Everyone pulled together and we saved a lot of homes.”

The fire was human started with the exact cause still under investigation.

“I know a lot of people are speculating it must have been a cigarette. We have to keep an open mind about that,” says Bojahra. “There are other potential causes along the roadside. Even a vehicle in disrepair can blow a piece of hot carbon out the exhaust and that can start fires and certainly has in the past.”

So far this year, there have been about 860 wildfires in the province with more than $80 million spent fighting them.