Good samaritans stop to douse small roadside fire in North Okanagan

VERNON – People in the Okanagan are very much on guard when it comes to fire activity.

A photo posted on Facebook by Nor-Val Rentals shows passersby, including one of the company’s delivery drivers, stopping to douse a small fire that started in the ditch on Westside Road Monday, July 31.

Given the proximity to the roadway, they are speculating the fire was caused by a discarded cigarette.

“Thanks to the vigilance of one of our delivery drivers and other folks driving by, a discarded cigarette butt on Westside Road didn't become a forest fire today. Please people, if you need to smoke while you drive, use an ash tray or a partially filled water bottle to discard your butts. Don't throw them out the window,” Nor-Val says on the post, which has been more than 250 times as of Tuesday morning, Aug. 1.

The photo shows people using jugs and water bottles to put out the fire.

Members of the public have been stepping up in all kinds of ways recently to put out fires. Last weekend, a Kamloops man used his jet boat to splash water on a fire that started near the Thompson River.

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