Fire crews and RCMP were called to a large brush fire on the southeast corner of the Grand Forks Municipal Airport property on Friday between Birch Road, Kenmore Road and Sagamore Road.
The fire, reported just after 3 p.m. reportedly was ignited by a downed power line near a home on Birch Road that landed in dry grass, which sparked a fast-moving fire that quickly spread to nearby trees. Fanned by high winds, the fire was quickly pushed northwest across the easternmost edge of the airport property to several slash piles and a field between Kenmore and Sagamore Roads. Crews quickly contained the fire and it was under control by around 4:45 p.m., according to a bulletin from the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary.
As a precaution, the intersection of Sagamore Road and Second Street was closed to traffic from around 4:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. As well, several residents near the affected area were "tactically" evacuated and asked to head to the Grand Forks arena area to get emergency support services. The evacuation was cancelled around 5 p.m.
"This was a joint response and I appreciate all of the other agencies that were supporting our crews with this fire," stated Grand Forks Mayor Everett Baker in a message to the Gazette. "From the outside looking in, it looks like a very well coordinated joint effort to protect our community."
