Fire officials in West Kelowna are on heightened alert after being called out to six grass fires in less than 24 hours.
“It’s a tremendous risk to public safety,” said Jason Brolund, West Kelowna’s fire chief.
The first fire erupted late Tuesday morning in a large grassy field not far from city hall.
That blaze was followed by five more fires hours later Tuesday night and into early Wednesday morning.
“The fires were primarily concentrated around the community core,” Brolund said. “In areas where the wildland urban interface overlaps with the community, grassy fields, treed areas.”
The fires are being considered suspicious.
“We suspect that they are deliberate,” Brolund told Global News. “Six fires in this time period is more than just a coincidence.”
Some of the other fires broke out near the Johnson Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre and along Witt Road. Flames also erupted near the ReStore on Ross Road and in the area near Angus Drive.
Brolund said the biggest concern with the fires, which ranged in size from small to half a hectare, is how close some came to homes while people slept inside.
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“My understanding from the fire crews is that it was very close,” Brolund said. “You change a few factors — a little bit more wind, for example — we may have seen some of these fires, you know, burning much closer or up against homes.”
Ron MacEachern lives on Angus Drive, in the vicinity of one of those fires.
“It’s scary,” MacEachern said. “As dry as it is now, I mean the whole block could go up. It could be a major catastrophe.”
While Brolund stopped short of saying there may be a fire bug at work, he’s assuring residents the matter is top priority.
“There are multiple agencies working on the investigation of these fires today, using multiple different techniques in order to, you know, not only try and figure out what happened but also to be out there in the field should this continue to happen to us today and later tonight,” Brolund said. “I think residents should be assured that it’s being taken very seriously.
“My message to whoever is doing this is stop it. Our community does not need this. We are at the height, we are still in wildfire season.”
Residents are being urged to keep a watchful eye out and call 9-1-1 immediately at any sign of smoke or flames.
MacEachern plans to do just that.
“Be more vigilant, watch the neighbourhood,” he said.
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