Firefighters in a B.C. community are appealing to the public after a fire sparked on the side of a road.
The Cache Creek Fire Department responded to a grass fire on March 19.
“It looks like spring really is here, Cache Creek Fire just responded to our first landscape fire of the season,” says a staff member.
“Please remember to never, ever throw anything out of your vehicle.”
Nearby bystanders were able to get most of the fire out before the firefighters arrived on the scene.
“Please remember to ensure that someone in your group is calling 911 and never put yourself at risk,” say staff.
A photograph from the scene shows a sizable amount of grass and hill side torched.
Elsewhere in the province, the Prince George Fire Centre will see see a fire ban go into effect on March 28 until Oct. 15. Open burning in categories two and three will be prohibited. Meanwhile, the same ban will cover the Cariboo Fire Centre until Nov. 1.
BC Wildfire Service announced during a press conference this week that it's expecting an early start to the spring fire season given persistent drought conditions and a lower-than-average snowpack.
Neal McLoughlin, superintendent of predictive services for BC Wildfire Service, said underlying drought conditions will remain as spring begins. While El Niño is fading, there is still residual heat in the atmosphere — and warmer conditions and an earlier snowmelt are expected.
