UPDATE: 6 a.m
The Kelowna Fire Department says it was able to quickly put out a wildfire in the Glenmore Valley Sunday afternoon.
“The fire was caused by young children setting fire,” says Chief Shayne Kiehlbauch.
Crews were called at around 7pm to the area of Ballou and Moubray streets.
The first firefighters reported a plume of white smoke 200 feet up the hillside.
“Crews pulled a 200 foot hose line to the base of the hill and extended the line with a forest hose to the fire. They found a 20×20 foot Rank 2 fire. They were able to quickly extinguish the fire and prevent the fire from spreading on the hill,” says Kiehlbauch.
Crews set up a cordon around the fire and drenched the area thoroughly with water.
The Kelowna Fire Department responded with three engines, a truck and a command unit, along with 18 personnel. BC Ambulance Service and RCMP also attended.
The fire department is reminding residents that burning is not allowed in the city “and that the forest in and around Kelowna is very dry.”
ORIGINAL: 7:55 p.m
A fire broke out shortly after 7pm on Sunday in the Glenmore Hills along Ballou Road and Moubray Road.
A neighbor tells Castanet before smoke could be seen the Kelowna Fire Department was already on the scene.
The fire appears to have started near the base of a tree.
“It looked pretty small. I’d say about five feet by five feet,” said one Glenmore resident.
The Kelowna Fire Department has extinguished the fire and remains on scene making sure hot spots are extinguished.
Kelowna RCMP and bylaw personnel were also on scene diverting traffic.
At the moment it is not known what caused the fire.
Castanet requested more information from the Kelowna Fire Department.
