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‘Smoking materials’ suspected cause of West Kelowna fire

WATCH: Canada's wildfires have burned 11 million hectares of land so far. Three people have been killed on the front lines of the firefight this month, and the death of Carter Vigh, a 9-year-old B.C. boy, is being linked to the smoke. – Jul 20, 2023

Smoking materials found at the site of a Friday morning spot fire along Highway 97 in West Kelowna are the suspected cause.

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It was around 6:30 a.m. when the first fire was spotted and doused. As firefighters dealt with it, two additional spot fires were reported along the highway.

“The first engine did a great job staying mobile, getting initial knockdown of these fires with support by an additional engine company to assist with complete extinguishment,” deputy chief Chad Gartrell of the West Kelowna Fire Rescue said.

Investigators who responded to the incident indicated that “lit smokers’ materials were found at one of the incident sites.”

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“This is a stark reminder of the extreme drought conditions and ease of ignition these cured grassland fuels have currently within the community and the valley as a whole,” he said.

“WKFR reminds everyone to ensure that all smoker’s materials are extinguished in an appropriate receptacle to help prevent these types of incidents from occurring.”

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