Crews seeking out hot spots 20 kilometers south of Osoyoos. Northeast Washington Interagency Incident Managment Team Twitter.

 

The fire roughly 20 kilometers south of Osoyoos is contained and being mopped up as crews seek out hot spots and work over the next few days to fully extinguish the fire which burned up to 113 hectares as its peak.

The cause of the fire, which started between Oroville and Tonasket July 3, is under investigation according to a press release from the Northeast Washington Interagency Management Team.

Canadian air tankers and a bird dog (small scout plane) assisted efforts on July 3 joining three hand crews, 12 fire engines and one bulldozer.

“Today crews will continue to strengthen containment around the fire and structures,” states a news release from the IMT.

That work includes the construction of waterbars and cross-gridding, which address hot spots using infrared devices.

Original July 4 10:37 a.m. 

Bobbi Cussins, deputy communications director, with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources told the Osoyoos Times that crews worked overnight and are now “mopping up” and clearing out hot spots.

The fire grew to a total of 121 hectares overnight.

Update 10:17 a.m. 

Crews are continuing to work to contain a wildfire which grew to an estimated 117 hectares Wednesday night.

The fire’s perimeter grew to 117 hectares, Cussins said, up from 80 hectares yesterday afternoon.

Cussins said a more substantial update is expected in the next few hours.

Firefighters are bringing in air crews to combat a fire near Oroville, WA which is burning over 80 hectares Wednesday afternoon.

BC Wildfire sent air tankers and a small plane to assist efforts Wednesday afternoon.

The fire, burning near O’Neil Road, had grown from an estimated eight hectares to 80 in an hour.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources tweeted the Swanson Mill fire had grown quickly around 3 p.m. roughly 20 kilometres south of the Canada-U.S. border.