The Merritt Fire Rescue Department (MFRD) was kept busy earlier this week attending four wildfires in 24 hours.

On Monday, a grassfire on the Joeyaska reserve near Merritt burnt up two hectares of land after strong winds turned a controlled burn into an out-of-control blaze.

Traffic at the east end of Nicola Avenue was stopped in both directions because of low visibility from smoke as well as flames impinging the road, fire prevention officer Sky McKeown told the Herald.

“The wind fuelled her up — pretty gusty out there these days,” McKeown said.

The bottom of a few power lines and several fence posts were scorched, but no one was hurt and no structures were threatened, McKeown said.

MFRD had one command vehicle and two fire engines with six firefighters on scene, he said. After about two hours on the scene, firefighters left but had to return almost immediately for another fire that was burning a fence.

At about the same time, a four-hectare grassfire on the Shulus reserve just off of Highway 8 broke out.

The blaze was reported at about 3:30 p.m. and was extinguished by 6:30 p.m.

Again, windy conditions turned an open burn into a grassfire.

The Lower Nicola Fire Department, MFRD and the province’s Wildfire Management Branch attended that fire, Fire Chief Dave Tomkinson told the Herald.

“We just assisted Lower Nicola with containing the fire and preventing it from spreading into the houses,” Tomkinson said.

Two outbuildings were destroyed by the flames, but no one was hurt.

MFRD also extinguished a small grassfire at the intersection of Fox Farm Road and Panorama Drive on Tuesday morning.

“It was probably about 20 feet wide by 50 feet long,” Tomkinson said.

As of April 15, MFRD has received 23 more calls for service than they did at this time last year, with 103 calls compared to 80 from April 15, 2013.

Kamloops Fire Centre urges people to burn with caution

During the first two weeks of this month, the Kamloops Fire Centre received reports of 34 wildfires.

 fire in Lower Nicola slows traffic. Michael Potestio/Herald

fire in Lower Nicola slows traffic. Michael Potestio/Herald

That’s more than double the number of wildfires the Kamloops Fire Centre usually sees at this time of year, which is about 16, fire information officer Kayla Pepper said.

All 34 were human-caused and the majority were the result of poorly planned open burning, she said.

Seven of those wildfires occurred in the Merritt Fire Zone.

The two largest wildfires in the Southern Interior are located in Penticton Fire Zone: an 84-hectare wildfire at the junction of Barcelo Road and Highway 3 located southeast of Keremeos and Cawston, and the 80-hectare Inkaneep wildfire located northeast of Osoyoos.

More than half of the wildfires in B.C. this season have been located in the Kamloops Fire Centre.

The high number of fires has prompted the Wildfire Management Branch to warn people not to conduct open burns in windy conditions. A fireguard of at least one metre around the fire site should be cleared of combustible material.

The province also urges people conducting open burns to ensure there are enough people, water and tools readily available to control the fire.

Open burns should never be left unattended and those conducting them should ensure fires are completely extinguished before leaving.

In the event an open burn escapes and causes a wildfire, the person responsible for the fire can be held accountable for damages and the costs of fire suppression.

Those found to have contravened an open fire prohibition may be issued a ticket for $345 or, if convicted, fined $100,000 and sentenced up to a year in jail. If said contravention leads to a wildfire, the person may be subject to a $10,000 fine and ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

Prior to conducting a burn, check with your local fire department, municipality and regional district if there are any open burning restrictions or bylaws in effect.

If conducting large-scale industrial burn or grass burn which is more than 0.2 hectares, obtain a burn registration number ahead of time by calling 1-888-797-1717.

To report flames or smoke, call 1-800-663-5555 or dial *5555 on your cellphone.

Check venting conditions before conducting an open burn online here.

McKeown said anytime there are high winds, people should refrain from open burning.