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Kelowna  

Truck started wildfire

Hot exhaust fumes are to blame for a wildfire that forced the evacuation of about 140 homes in the Joe Rich area last summer.

In an email from the Ministry of Forests, the most probable cause of the July 3, 2015, fire was determined to be thermally active exhaust carbon ejected by a passing truck.

All other reasonable causes were excluded.

Originally, it was thought a discarded cigarette had caused the blaze.

The fire began about 2:45 p.m. along Highway 33 just east of Heartland Ranch.

Within an hour, the fast moving fire resulted in the evacuation of all residents on Huckleberry Road, between Goudie Road and Sun Valley Road.

Some residents remained out of their homes for about 48 hours while crews mopped up the fire, which consumed about 55 hectares.



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