KEREMEOS – It was originally reported as a grass fire Saturday morning.
However before the blaze burning west of Keremeos could be tamed, the flames gutted a mobile home and grew to at least a hectare.
Keremeos firefighters were first called to the fire near Highway 3 around 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
Fire Chief Jordy Bosscha says when the first firefighters arrived, the trailer was surrounded by fire but had not yet caught alight.
After the mobile home was destroyed, fire crews were still fighting the blaze as it burnt the tops of cottonwood trees.
Bosscha says they got an excavator to come and knock down trees so firefighters could extinguish them.
Read More: Highway 3 near Keremeos open to traffic
The fire also damaged outbuildings and scorched the outside of a second trailer.
There is still no word on what exactly sparked the fire and Bosscha says officials are looking into where it started.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says the fire was human caused but local officials will be responsible for investigating.
Highway 3 was closed in both directions for several hours on Saturday, as a result of the fire, causing traffic to lineup on the highway for kilometers.
Keremeos firefighters got help from the B.C. Wildfire Service and crews from Hedley and Kaleden.
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