A grass fire along Jaffray Baynes Lake Road had a full response from the South Country Fire Departments on Saturday evening.
RDEK officials said the fire was able to spread quickly because of current conditions.
“The fire was on private property and started at the base of a hill near a pasture. It quickly grew to approximately 1.5 hectares with warm temperatures and low humidity contributing to its spread,” said Elk Valley & South Country Rural Fire and Rescue Chief Michael Hockley.
“Fortunately, the wind was working in our favour. Our firefighters immediately worked to create a containment line and were successful in keeping the fire within the pasture and well away from any structures.”
16 firefighters from Jaffray, Elko and Baynes Lake brought seven pieces of apparatus to the scene.
The fire was contained by 9:45 p.m. and no injuries were reported from the incident.
“This is another good reminder for residents across the East Kootenay about the need for caution right now as the fine fuels are extremely dry. The forecasted unseasonably warm temperatures are going to continue to elevate the fire danger in the days ahead,” said Hockley.
The exact cause of the blaze is unknown, but investigators believe it was human-caused.