UPDATE 4 p.m. – The BC Wildfire Service says a structure fire that destroyed a building in Cherry Creek did not spread to the brush.

The Wildfire Service was called to the fire at the Cherry Creek Cricket and Worm Farm along Highway 1 near Beaton Road, west of Kamloops, about 11 a.m. Friday.

The fire consumed at least one of the buildings at the farm, though other damage – or a cause – are not known at this time.

“Crews did get on site,” BC Wildfire Service Information Officer, Shaelee Stearns, told NL News.

“It hadn’t spread to the brush at all, but they were just monitoring. There was a structure fire and it didn’t spread.”

Stearns did say the blaze was outside of fire department jurisdictions, noting that BCWS crews are not trained to fight structure fires.

The Cherry Creek area does not have fire protection, and a proposal to expand the Tobiano Fire Department’s coverage area almost went to a referendum during last fall’s election.

According to polling conducted by the TNRD, 63 per cent of respondents in Cherry Creek were in support of proceeding with a referendum.

There was a power outage for about 250 BC Hydro customers west of Kamloops, though power has since been restored.

The blaze was visible from Kamloops and Tobiano, with billowing black smoke seen in the vicinity, and a large grey plume visible from the City.

Video fyi pic.twitter.com/Rq9UP8Un6P

— jeff putnam (@Putsky88) April 14, 2023