The Mara Mountain fire east of Sicamous was discovered shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday (image courtesy of the B.C. Wildfire Service)

By Liam Verster

Mara Mountain Wildfire

Wildfire burning in the Mara Mountain area near Sicamous

Jul 18, 2024 | 10:24 AM

A new wildfire sparked in the Shuswap Thursday morning.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said the Mara Mountain fire, located east of Sicamous, was discovered at around 9:09 a.m. July 18.

The BCWS said mapping of the fire determined it to be roughly five hectares in size as of 9:15 a.m.

The fire was considered Out of Control at last update, and was suspected of being caused by a lightning strike.

The BCWS told Vernon Matters the fire is located in an inaccessible area so ground crews were not assigned. The agency added the situation would be continuously monitored throughout the day to track the spread and determine if there were any objectives that could be met by assigning resources to the fire.