UPDATE: 9:40 p.m.
Regional District of the Central Okanagan, North Westside director and resident of the area, Wayne Carson, said that after the power went out Wednesday evening he heard the sirens and went to take a look at what had happened.
鈥淭here was a tree on the line that was on fire, but those crews got a good handle on it and I never saw any fire behaviour above a rank 2,鈥� said Carson, who is also the former fire chief of the North Westside.
BC Wildfire describes a rank 2 fire as a low vigorous surface blaze.
According to Carson, fire crews were able to contain the blaze from spreading and by 9 p.m. had the situation 鈥渦nder control鈥�.
Carson lives not far from where the fire sparked and said he could see smoke and flame just down the road from his home.
鈥淲e have had enough situations like this (on Westside Road) in the last three or four years, we don鈥檛 need another, especially this early in the season,鈥� he said, adding the fire crews were quick to arrive on scene and get a good grasp on extinguishing the flames.
UPDATE 8:45 p.m.
BC Wildfire Service is now stating the blaze is 1.75 hectares in size.
Original
Trees that fell across a power line possibly ignited a wildfire near Westside Road, south of the Killiney Beach area, Wednesday evening (July 2).
Photos posted to social media show a tree across a power line that is on fire, above Westside Road, just south of Elliott Road. Those living in the area are also reporting that the road is closed while emergency crews are on scene.
The blaze is an estimated .009 hectares in size and considered out of control, according to BC Wildfire.
At about 6:50 p.m., BC Hydro reported a vehicle collision knocked out power to 1,457 of its customers along Westside Road.
It's unclear if the vehicle crash is connected to the wildfire.
More to come.
