A brush fire flared up on Tuesday in the South Okanagan, near Penticton Regional Airport.
According to the city, a brush pile being burned got out of control, leading to the highly smoky blaze.
The Penticton Fire Department responded, with the Penticton Indian Band’s fire department also chipping in resources to extinguish the fire.
It’s thought the fire started shortly after 2 p.m., but was contained by 4 p.m. Penticton Regional Airport appeared to be unaffected, as a WestJet flight from Calgary arrived on time at 3:13 p.m.
It also occurred near BC Wildfire’s air tanker base beside the airport. Wildfire crews were said to be on standby, ready to assist.
Slash burning has been occurring near Penticton’s airport for some time now. Of note, open burning in the region ends on April 15.