Photo: Nicholas Johansen

Investigators are no longer on scene at the Blue Grouse Mountain wildfire.

Fire investigators are no longer at the scene of the wildfire that burned off of Westside Road on June 13, and despite witnesses saying the cause was obvious, an official conclusion may take months to reach.

The 2.5 hectare fire was sparked just after noon on the sunny Tuesday, quickly spreading up Blue Grouse Mountain due to the strong winds in the area.

Shawn Lafond was driving by at 12:20 p.m. when he noticed the smoke, prompting a call to 911.

"There was a tent and a fire pit, for a small campfire, but then it looked like they had a spot where they had a bonfire above it," Lafond said the day of the fire. "It looked like maybe they had a bigger fire throughout the night and then let that log smoulder or something."

A resident of the neighbourhood told Lafond several people had been camping in the area for about three weeks.

A week and a half later, the BC Wildfire Service has classified the fire as “under control,” and fire investigators are no longer on site.

Despite completing the evidence gathering part of the investigation, fire information officer Justine Hunse says that's just the first step.

“That's then followed by preparation of reports of their findings,” Hunse said. “That information is then shared with agencies such as the Compliance and Enforcement Branch, Conservation Officer Service and the RCMP for possible further action.

“All those steps do take time.”

She says when determining a fire's cause, investigators take into the account the direction the fire has spread, topography of the land, weather and witness reports.

If a person is found to be responsible for a fire, Hunse says they can be held accountable for all related damages and the costs associated with fighting the fire.

The investigation could take weeks or months to complete.