Wildfire burning along Highway 97 between Vernon and Falkland

A wildfire sparked alongside Highway 97 overnight is now being held at just over four hectares, according to BC Wildfire.

Melanie Bibau, a fire information officer, said that the fire started after midnight but at some point Wednesday morning firefighters had it in a held position, meaning it wasn’t expected to spread further.

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“The wildfire is burning along Highway 97, highly visible but the highway is not impacted,” she said.

Bibau said they have 13 BC Wildfire personnel assisting with the Silver Creek fire department. RCMP and BC Hydro is also responding.

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“It is believed the fire was human-caused, in this case, likely being started by a downed hydro line which ignited a barn,” the Columbia Shuswap Regional District said.

The CSRD said Silver Creek firefighters worked closely with local residents to battle the blaze.

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The regional district noted that some residents had access to heavy equipment, which was used to build fireguards to keep the blaze from spreading.

The CSRD also said a few homes in the area were told to evacuate but they are now allowed to return home.

“Working together, our firefighters and these local residents did an excellent job of containment,”  Derek Sutherland of the regional district’s protective services department said. “We extend our appreciation to them for their help.”

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