Quick application of retardant dropped from an air tanker helped slow a fast-moving grass fire east of Kelowna on Friday afternoon.
The fire broke out just after 3 p.m. on the southern slopes of Black Mountain, just off Highway 33.
"It was quite an aggressive fire at first, but we were able to make good progress against it," provincial fire information officer Michaela Swan said.
The blaze was initially classed as a Rank 3 fire, which is one that's spreading vigorously along the ground at the rate of about three metres per minute.
By 4:30 p.m, it had been downgraded to a Rank 1 fire, which means it was moving much more slowly. It was declared 100 per cent contained by 4:45 p.m., and crews were into the mop-up stage.
No homes or structures were threatened by the fire, which covered eight hectares. Along with about 30 firefighters from the provincial service, crews from Kelowna and the Joe Rich volunteer department worked the fire.
Key to the swift containment of the fire was the dropping of retardant from an air tanker, Swan said. The aircraft was also joined by two bucketing helicopters.
Highway 33 remained open while crews worked the fire. The terrain consists of rolling, grass-covered hills, without any significant stands of trees.
