Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department and B.C. Forest Service firefighters spent several hours fighting a wild fire on White Lake Road.
The fire broke out at approximately 3;30 p.m., and was located about one and a half kilometres south of the junction of Highway 97 and White Lake Road.
The fire began on the shoulder of White Lake Road and quickly spread into an adjacent forested area. Ground crews were aided by two helicopters, each of which made two drops on the fire.
Kaleden firefighter Dennis Gaudry, who is also a retired Forest Service firefighter, said the area was fuel modified - trees thinned and underbrush cleaned up - in the late 1980s or early 1990s.
“Even though the work was done that long ago, it was evident from the fire behaviour that this fire could still be effectively handled by ground personnel using fire hose,” he said, ranking the fire as a “two and a half, with attitude.” In spite of the fire's aggressive behaviour, there was little in the way of fuels on the forest floor to allow it to "ladder" into the trees.
The fire was contained at approximately .15 hectares, with the nearest structures at least several hundred metres away.
Investigators were brought in to help determine the exact cause of the fire, which is considered to be person caused.
There has been several wildfires in the area around White Lake in the past three years, all believed to have been person caused.