A wildfire discovered in the rolling hills near Merritt on Monday evening is now considered held.
Located along the Okanagan Connector, around three kilometres east of the town’s western edge, the Hamilton Hill fire is estimated at three hectares.
BC Wildfire says the fire was likely started by people, around 7 p.m., and that crews attacked it quickly. Wildland firefighters also received helicopter support and assistance from the Merritt Fire Department.
The fire did not threaten any structures, though it was highly visible from Merritt. For Tuesday, BC Wildfire says one attack crew is at the scene, mopping up the blaze.
“We really appreciate it when the public call in wildfire reports,” BC Wildfire fire information officer Kyla Fraser said. “When those calls come in, and we detect a fire, crews then go out to respond.
“Every fire is different – it depends on the location, the resources we have available – but in this case, we were able to get crews out very quickly, and the suppression efforts went really well.”
BC Wildfire has an app available that allows the public to report wildfires.
“With our new mobile app, we have the ‘report a wildfire’ function,” Fraser said. “You can actually submit photos through that as well.
“Maybe people can’t describe what they’re seeing, so you can also include a picture.”
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