A hedge fire near Herald Park prompted a warning from a Shuswap fire official.
About 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18, the Tappen Sunnybrae Fire Department received a call regarding a cedar hedge on fire next to a house in the 5200 block of Sunnybrae Canoe Point Road, just beyond Herald Park.
The homeowner was able to knock down the blaze before fire crews arrived, said Sean Coubrough, Fire Services Coordinator with the Columbia Shuswap Regional District.
Firefighters then emptied a load of water on it and made sure it was extinguished completely.
Regarding cause, Coubrough said the investigation is still ongoing, but it might have been caused by sun. He said the sun was hitting the hedge at that time and there didn’t appear to be any other ignition sources.
“Cedar hedges go up so easily. With this hot, dry weather, the needles at the base act as a great fire starter,” he said.
Regional fire services are engaged with the FireSmart program, he said, emphasizing that one of the tenets of the program is limiting that type of vegetation near residences.
The FireSmart website provides a number of resources, including the top 10 ways to FireSmart your home.
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marthawickett@saobserver.net
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