Brush fire ignites in Ellison

KELOWNA – Firefighters from two separate halls were called to contain a wildfire in Ellison Wednesday evening before it spread to a nearby house on Sierra Drive.

The 0.5 hectare fire is believed to have started in a large pile of raw timber that neighbours say appeared on the side of the road approximately one month ago.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, but crews from Ellison and Lake Country are on scene and an investigation is underway. A pair of helitankers were brought in by B.C. Forestry and managed to contain the blaze, which was spreading in the direction of a home below Sierra Drive.

There are a few houses in the area, however evacuations were not necessary. A piece of heavy machinery parked nearby was commandeered by Ellison Fire Department and used to spread the logs out to allow better water penetration.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

— This story was corrected at 5:48 to change the name of the street.