Fire status lowered

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UPDATE: Wednesday 5:30 p.m.

 

The Beaver Lake Road grass fire has now been reduced to patrol status.

One initial attack crew worked on mop-up, Wednesday.

The road was reopened to traffic as well, today.

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UPDATE: 8 P.M.

The fire along Beaver Lake Road in Lake Country is in the mop-up stages.

Lake Country Fire Department deputy fire chief Brent Penner said forestry crews are conducting some back burning, but there is either fire retardant or a hand guard around the entire five-hectare blaze.

“It's smouldering, but there is nothing too visible,” said Penner. “There is some smoking debris in the area. It's going to stay hot for a while.”

Penner said forestry will be keeping an eye on the fire throughout the night.

An investigator will be at the scene Wednesday, trying to determine what caused the blaze.

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UPDATE: 5:10 P.M.

The fire is estimated to be five hectares in size, according to Brent Penner, Lake Country Fire Department deputy chief.

Lake Country Fire Department has pulled out all its resources except for one, because enough progress has been made.

The fire began in a ditch on the side of the road, and rapidly made its way across a grass field and into the trees due to strong winds, Penner said.

He said he can't confirm it was definitely a cigarette that started the blaze because, "It could be a spark from a vehicle hitting something on the road, or what have you."

Penner said the fire is pretty much just smoldering now, and they have knocked the fire out of the trees. The wind has died down now, but he said if it was to pick back up, it could take off again. 

There are no buildings threatened by the fire at this time.

UPDATE: 4:30 P.M.
 
The fire up Beaver Lake Road has affected a flight landing at Kelowna's airport.

An Air Canada flight scheduled to land at 4 p.m. today was turned back to Vancouver due to the fire and was rescheduled to land at 5:20 p.m.

Since then, a WestJet flight from Calgary managed to land, due to a “window of opportunity in between the air tanker activity,” according to Jenelle Hynes, community relations manager at the airport.

Hynes said there is not a scheduled arrival until 5:20 p.m., and they will have to see what the fire is doing at that time.

ORIGINAL: 3:12 P.M.

Fire crews from several jurisdictions are converging on a fire burning about seven kilometres up Beaver Lake Road in Lake Country.

Fire information officer Melissa Klassen says the fire is only about half a hectare in size, but is burning vigorously.

She says the fire is burning at Rank 2 or 3. There are also reports of strong winds in the area.

An initial three-man attack crew is already on site, with two more crews en route via helicopter.

Air tankers from Penticton are also making their way to the scene.

Klassen says fire crews from Lake Country have been called in to assist.

Crews from the Kelowna Fire Department are also making their way to lend a hand.