UPDATE: 12:30 p.m.

Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department members have wrapped up activities at the fire site, as the flames are controlled.

Fire chief Denis Gaudry said he estimates the blaze, which was around 0.1 hectares when they arrived on the scene, grew to 0.4 hectares before being contained, with under a metre high flames.

"We were lucky that there was no wind, and we were able to stop the spread by simply applying water to it," he said. 

Gaudry said that since the area of the fire, on the southbound side of Highway 97, is on Penticton Indian Band land, the band will be conducting a final mop-up of the remnants of the fire. 

"We are returning back into our jurisdiction to be ready for the next one.," Gaudry said.

No word on the cause yet, though investigators are looking into it and Gaudry believes it was human-caused. 

"It wasn't lightning," he added, referring to the clear blue skies. 

UPDATE 11:25 a.m.

Firefighters appears to have gotten a handle on the fire.

Castanet reporter Chelsea Powrie says the fire looks noticeably smaller, although there is still an area seeing active flames near the roadside.

The fire has nearly stopped its climb up the hill and crews are dismantling hoses.

A helicopter continues to douse the fire from the air.

UPDATE 10:55 a.m.

The B.C. Wildfire Service is assisting the Kaleden Volunteer Department, attacking the brush fire heavily fire from the air with a helicopter.

Firefighters are also hard at work building a guard around the fire, which has grown up the hillside away from Highway 97. The highway is reduced to single-lane-alternating traffic.

ORIGINAL 10:20 a.m.

Emergency crews are at the scene of a brush fire near Kaleden, on the side of Highway 97.

The fire appears to have originated at the roadside and is travelling up the hill. The blaze is sending up a large plume of smoke visible from the surrounding area.

Castanet News has a reporter on the way to the scene and will update.

Photo: Chelsea Powrie