Times-Chronicle Staff
Local fire officials suspect that a grass fire the size of a football field near Osoyoos on Tuesday was human caused.
Oliver Fire Department spokesman Rob Graham said they received a report of a grass fire just after 8 p.m. in the NK’Mip/ Radio Tower Road area near Osoyoos Cottages.
“It’s not the first time we’ve been called to that area,” he stated.
Graham said firefighters basically surrounded the blaze and extinguished the perimeter.
He noted that BC Forests does not have crews stationed yet, so they advised Oliver firefighters to knock down the perimeter until forestry crews arrived.
“We knocked most of it down but there are some hot spots (still) smoldering,” Graham said.
He pointed out the fire had been burning for some time. No structures were in the immediate area.
Graham said it would have been a different story in the middle of summer.
“It’s dry out there and we haven’t had any rain (in March and April).”
Graham stated there appears to be an uptick in the number of grass fires this time of year.
“This fire (on Tuesday) is considered human caused,” he noted, adding they found some evidence to suggest that.
