Jackass wildfire now at 55 hectares

The wildfire at Jackass Mountain is still blazing, and it's gotten bigger.

Fire Information Officer Jeanne Rucker says the fire near Lytton has grown to about 55 hectares in size.

She tells us the good news is that it crews have been able to contain at least part of it.

"The west side of the fire is now considered contained.  The southern-most portion is basically up against a rock wall, so that's not an issue.  They are looking at working on the east side of the fire which is the most inaccessible and the most difficult to work because of that."

Rucker says they have 60 people working on the blaze, as well as helicopters and a water truck.

Rucker says the weather forecast could also make things tough.  She says, "The weather is going to be slightly cooler than it was (on Monday) and we are expecting a little bit higher winds to be coming up the Fraser Canyon.  So, heat combined with wind on a fire certainly does pose some challenges for the crew, as well as with the terrain, it's extremely steep in there."

The fire sparked Sunday afternoon when a car caught fire on the Trans-Canada Highway, which is now closed in the area.

Denise Wong - Astral Media Radio News (Kelowna)