Work on a BC Hydro right-of-way in Roberts Creek sparked a brush fire April 27.
The Roberts Creek Fire Department was alerted at 1:08 p.m. by a 911 call from a contractor who’d been clearing brush for the utility.
The contractor reported seeing smoke coming from a tree stump in an area where they’d just been working with an excavator-mounted cutter.
Firefighters were on scene by 1:25, and by then a small area of brush was burning and the fire had spread into a nearby tree.
RCVFD chief Pat Higgins said dry conditions and Saturday afternoon’s high winds increased the risk of the fire spreading quickly, but quick action by the crews meant it was contained to around 900 sq. meters and soon extinguished.
The area was inspected using a thermal imaging camera to locate any hot spots and was visited for follow-up inspections Saturday evening and again Sunday.
The BC Wildfire Service was also called out to the fire, but did not have personnel involved in attacking the fire. Although it was small, and no longer active, the Wildfire Service has listed it as the area’s first wildfire of the season.
Higgins said the fire is a reminder of how dry the area has become and how important it is for people to take extra care in the woods or around their own properties.
There is no campfire ban at the moment, but the window for backyard burning in Roberts Creek closed April 15.
