Firefighters from the Coastal Fire Centre now have the small ground fire at Harris Lake under control.
As of 1:45 p.m. on July 22, the initial attack team had contained the perimeter of the fire, which was estimated at about 90 sq. metres in size, fire information officer Dorthe Jakobsen told Coast Reporter.
“They'll just be going in to mop up and patrol now to make sure that there are no hotspots remaining or that it’s been spotted elsewhere,” Jakobsen said.
The five-member BC Wildfire Service crew arrived just after 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 22.
At the time, the fire was classified as rank one, and Jakobsen said the spot fire mostly involved brush. Since its location was close to a water source, the crew established a hose line to begin their attack.
Harris Lake is located just south of Spipiyus Provincial Park, about halfway between Pender Harbour and Sechelt Inlet.
On the BC Wildfire Service map, the suspected cause of the fire is listed as “person.”
Pender Harbour Fire Chief Don Murray said there was a minor fire in the same area several weeks ago, after someone was believed to be cutting firewood.
Harris Lake is outside of the Pender Harbour department’s jurisdiction, Murray said, and they haven’t been asked to respond yet. Last night, the volunteer firefighters were asked to respond to a possible small fire near Middle Point, but were unable to find anything.
