Car fire sparks brush fire near Kamloops

KAMLOOPS – It’s a reminder just how quickly the grass and brush can dry out in the spring. A car fire started an interface fire on the hillside about 2 kilometres east of the intersection of Shuswap Road East and Harper Ranch Road just after 2:30 p.m. today.

Kamloops fire chief Dale McLean says the blaze was outside of the city’s fire area, but decided to respond in the name of public safety.

The fire spread from the burning Kia to the grass very quickly.

"By the time the poor guy got off the phone with us, the fire was moving up the hillside,” McLean says.

McLean says the Kamloops firefighters happened to be doing a wildfire refresher course Monday afternoon. Three crews from the city and an initial attack team from B.C. Forestry responded.

Kamloops firefighters have left the scene, but B.C. Wildfire crews will remain at the scene until hotspots are out. Once a tow trucks moves the burned out Kia traffic will be resume as usual.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infotelnews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.