Penticton crews douse grass fire

For the second time in as many weeks, the West Bench in rural Penticton has dodged a fiery bullet.

Around 7 a.m. Thursday, flames leapt to life in waist-high, bone-dry grass and burned to within about 200 metres of homes before they were snuffed out approximately two hours later.

“A very close call,” said acting Capt. Chad Taylor of the Penticton Fire Department.

“Good thing it happened in the morning — higher humidity, no winds.”

Twenty members of Taylor’s department joined forces with personnel from the Penticton Indian Band Fire Department and a crew from the BC Wildfire Service to halt the spread of flames, which marched up a steep hillside just south of Sunglo Drive.

The fire scorched 2,600 square metres of land within the Penticton Indian reserve, and made it within about 50 metres of property under the jurisdiction of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and covered by the Penticton Fire Department.

“We don’t talk about jurisdiction in these type of conditions,” said Taylor. “Everybody helps out and does the best they can.”

The cause of the fire, which appears to have started at the base of the hill near what looks like an ATV trail, is under investigation by the RCMP and BC Wildfire Service.

Exactly two weeks earlier, 40 homes were evacuated on nearby Woodlands Drive after a fire in a natural area there. It grew to one hectare in size and damaged two homes before being brought to heel.