Slow but steady progress on British Columbia forest fire
Date: 16-Aug-01
Country: CANADA
The British Columbia Forest Service added 40 firefighters to the 100 already battling the 350-hectare (875-acre) fire burning in rugged mountains about 200 kilometers (130 miles) east of Vancouver near Manning Provincial Park.
No homes have been destroyed but smoke from the blaze has poured into the town of Princeton, about 20 kilometers east of the fire, forcing officials to warn residents with respiratory problems to remain in their homes.
Calm winds were aiding the fire-fighting effort and the blaze has not grown since late on Monday, according to the Forest Service.
The blaze began on the weekend when a motor-home vehicle caught fire on Route 3, a major roadway linking the coastal Vancouver area and British Columbia's southern interior region.