Kelowna

Right place, right time.

Regional Park Services Supervisor, Mike Roche happened to be driving down Springfield Road to take supplies to crews working at Mission Creek Regional Park when he noticed smoke.

Roche came across a fire burning on the south side of the creek across from Ziprick Road.

"I quickly dropped off the supplies and carried on. As I got to (Cottonwood) Bridge, I was dialling 911 when a person said don't bother, I just called it in," says Roche.

"I basically went across the creek to check it out. There was nothing I could do but watch and hope no wind came up."

Roche says he called bylaw officers to help him block off the area so fire crews could get in safely to fight the fire.

"There was actually a forestry firefighter who was testing a vehicle and he came by. So, we were both standing watching the fire with no tools or anything."

He says the fire was in about a 50 metre rectangle. At one point, a small pine tree candled while he was watching.

"It was spreading slowly because there luckily was no wind. Then it hit a brush pile in the back and it started getting a little worse. That's when I heard the sirens coming."

KFD Platoon captain, Laurie Serres, says once crews arrived, they were able to get the fire knocked down in 10 to 15 minutes.

The fire was no more that a half acre in size once it was doused.

He says the lack of wind and temperatures 10 to 15 degrees lower than earlier in the week helped crews get a handle on the fire quickly.

"Thankfully there was no wind. If it had been like yesterday we would have been chasing up the other side," says Serres.

While there is no definitive cause yet, Serres says it was human caused since there has been no lightning in the area.

He says a discarded cigarette may have been the culprit.

"There's a good chance with it being human caused. There's nothing other than that to really cause it."

Crews will continue to monitor the area throughout the day.

Meantime, Roche says he informed the Park's Manager he may want to consider closing a portion of the park.

"We discussed it the other day. This may confirm it," says Roche.

"We've done it in the past when the weather gets really hot and the park really starts drying out we will close the park on the south side of Mission Creek.

Roche says with temperatures expecting to reach 30 C again by Sunday, it may be time to re-look at the closure.

Mission Creek Park fire-Aug 24, 2012

Photo: Contributed - Mike Roche

Photo: Contributed - Mike Roche

Photo: Contributed - Mike Roche

Photo: Wayne Moore

Photo: Wayne Moore

Photo: Contributed - Mike Roche

Photo: Contributed - Lanie Everatt

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