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Crews snuff out Trail wildfire

Crews were called out to a midday wildfire on Sandpit Road in Trail on Saturday.
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Kootenay Boundary regional firefighters responded to a wildfire on Sandpit Road in Upper Sunningdale on Saturday.

Crews were called out to a midday wildfire on Sandpit Road in Trail on Saturday.

Twelve firefighters from Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Rescue responded to the 9-1-1 that came in just after 12:30 p.m.

Exacerbated by wind, the Upper Sunningdale blaze encompassed 0.13 hectares before it was extinguished an hour later.

Two initial attack crews from the Southeast Fire Centre were on site to help firefighters quickly knock down the flames.

The cause remained undetermined on Monday but fire chief Terry Martin said there were unconfirmed reports of motorbike riders in the vicinity just before the fire.

Another wildfire, this one lightning-caused and in the Kelly Creek area, was reported Sunday.

Fire Information Officer Karlie Shaughnessy says an initial attack crew was called to the sight just east of Fruitvale. The 0.3-hectare fire was reported out on Monday.

Meanwhile, FortisBC says storm outages and downed trees kept the company busy over the weekend.

Electrical power to homes in Glenmerry was cut off at 8 p.m. Friday night, allowing crews to make necessary line repairs.

“On Friday about 5:30 p.m., our crews responded to an issue of tree branches coming into contact with our line in the Glenmerry area of Trail,” explains Nicole Bogdanovic, FortisBC corporate communications advisor. “The tree was creating sparks and had the potential to start a fire. To safely address the situation, crews de-energized the line for about one hour and removed the hazardous branches. This impacted about 41 customers in the area.”

This is a good reminder to always be prepared in the event of an unplanned outage, especially during summer storm season. For example, be sure to have a phone that is plugged in directly to the wall. For more information about staying safe and being prepared for unplanned outages visit fortisbc.com/safety.



Sheri Regnier

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