The province of B.C. has barely warmed up from a long winter, but person-caused wildfires are already a concern.
The B.C. Wildfire Service active wildfire map shows three new fires this week, all of them caused by human activity.
A 112-hectare grass fire quickly spread within a kilometre of the Upper Nicola Band, 22 kilometres east of Merritt, on Monday.
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The fire was in the mop-up stage on Tuesday according to information officer Kevin Skrepnek, who said wildfire crews would be returning to the site on Wednesday. Nine B.C. Wildfire personnel will patrol the fire today, along with members of the Douglas Lake Fire Department.
Skrepnek said the fire was a common type of grass fire for this time of year; burning a large area quickly then burning itself out.
However, on Wednesday, B.C. Wildfire said the cause is undetermined at this time, but is suspected to be human caused.
Near Revelstoke, a five-hectare grass fire was burning at Greenslide Road at Airport Way in an area known as 8 Mile, next to the Columbia River.
It was also said to be person-caused and spread quickly, fanned by the wind.
A nine-hectare blaze was noted about 11 kilometres north of Princeton on Monday.
The fire is said to be near Hembrie Mtn., and was not threatening any structures.
There was no information available on how each fire was sparked, according to Skrepnek.
A planned burn in the Boundary region could produce smoke that will be visible from Highway 3 and Highway 33 on Wednesday, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.
A 36-hectare restoration burn is planned for an area north of Midway.
More information about the ecosystem restoration burn is available on the B.C. Wildfire Service website linked here.
The fire danger rating in B.C. on Tuesday was very low to low with pockets of moderate risk in the interior as well as near Valemount on the Alberta border.
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