Overview
- The grass fire started around noon on July 30 in a 60-by-90-metre patch of dry grass off Highway 1, six kilometres south of Ashcroft.
- Investigators confirmed that an osprey dropped a fish onto a BC Hydro line, producing embers that ignited the blaze beneath the parched vegetation.
- Ashcroft Fire Rescue joined BC Hydro crews, local ranch hands and water tenders in dousing the flames with approximately 4,800 gallons of water.
- Nearly 940 customers lost power shortly before 11 a.m., with BC Hydro restoring service to all affected homes by about 2 p.m.
- Fire crews credited calm winds and rapid coordination for preventing spread, and declared the fire extinguished by mid-afternoon with no injuries reported.