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Keremeos fire crews tackle snakebite, wildfire and person hit by vehicle

The Keremeos Fire Department had a busy Saturday with multiple emergencies

The Keremeos Fire Department had a busy Saturday between a wildfire, snakebite and a person who was rolled over by a vehicle. 

Firefighters were first called out shortly before 1 a.m. on Sept. 7 to Highway 3 just past Standing Rock, about eight kilometres west of Keremeos, for what was initially described as a vehicle fire. 

A campfire set up at a site between the Similkameen River and Highway 3 had grown out of control while the camper was sleeping. 

"It was a travel trailer and a pickup truck and then it went into about a half-hectare brushfire," said Fire Cheif Jordy Bosscha. "He woke up to everything on fire and he managed to get out with a blanket and a minor burn on his finger."

The highway was closed while firefighting efforts were underway and crews returned in the morning to mop up hotspots. 

The fact that the fire occurred in the middle of the night and there was little wind helped prevent it from spreading further, especially given the amount of fuel in the area. 

"It's extremely heavy duff, pine needles, dead branches and really thick brush," said Bosscha. "It had a lot of fuel in there."

The Lower Similkmaeen Indian Band issued a press release thanking the community for calling the fire in and the Keremeos Fire Department for their fast response. 

The LSIB also issued a reminder that all fires larger than 50 cm remain banned in the region. 

Later that day, the fire department had two additional medical calls to deal with. 

The first, a hiker who had been bitten by a snake, was dealt with before the firefighters arrived. 

"The person made it to the clinic by the time we got out there and so we didn't have to do much," said Bosscha. "There's critters out there that do bite."

The other call was to assist BC Emergency Health Services and RCMP after a vehicle rolled over its owner. 

The owner was taken to Penticton Regional Hospital to be treated for their injuries. 

Bosscha stated that he didn't know the extent of the injuries, but according to a family member on social media, the vehicle's owner suffered multiple broken bones and a facial injury. 

 

 

 



Brennan Phillips

About the Author: Brennan Phillips

Brennan was raised in the Okanagan and is thankful every day that he gets to live and work in one of the most beautiful places in Canada.
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