A wildfire approximately 30 km northwest of Merritt on Dot Ranch Cutoff Rd. has been brought under control, according the the BC Wildfire Service.
The fire was initially spotted on March 14, and was reported as four hectares at that time. The blaze grew to an estimated 11 hectares but was successfully held by fire crews.
Although this was the first wildfire in the Merritt area so far, there have been 655 fires across BC already this year.
“It’s not uncommon to see early spring fires,” Fire Information Officer Gaga Lidhran told Info News.
“Dead woody fuels and grass isn’t green yet, and those can burn rapidly when combined with warming temperatures and winds such as what we had on the weekend.”
An investigation is underway but the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
