Wrong place, right time: Barriere helps Ashcroft fight grass fire
Published 1:00 pm Monday, July 6, 2026
Crew from Barriere Fire Rescue who were on their way to Lytton on June 19 put out a grass fire near Ashcroft on their way through, preventing it from spreading in high winds. (Josh White)
A grass fire that started near Ashcroft on June 19 was growing rapidly when a crew from Barriere Fire Rescue happened on scene and was able to put it out before it spread. (Josh White)
It’s not uncommon for fire departments to help each other out in an emergency, but the crew at Ashcroft Fire Rescue (AFR) got a big surprise when they found out who came to their assistance for a routine fire call on June 19.
At 9:14 p.m. on Friday, June 19, AFR received a call from Kamloops Fire Dispatch about a grass fire at the junction of Cornwall Road and Highway 1 near the Esso Travel Centre. AFR Chief Josh White says crews acted quickly to reach the hall, gear up, and roll out.
“We knew it was a grass fire, and we knew what the winds were like that evening,” he explains. “We were all gearing up at the hall and heading to the trucks when dispatch called us back and stood us down, because Barriere Fire Rescue had already extinguished it.”
It would be putting it mildly, according to White, to say that he was “very surprised” to hear who was first on the scene. It’s not uncommon for the Cache Creek Fire Department — 12 kilometres and less than a 10-minute drive away — to provide mutual aid to AFR, but Barriere is 158 kilometres distant, with a drive time of slightly under two hours.
“For about five to 10 seconds I was thinking ‘What?’” says White. “‘Barriere Fire put out a fire we were just called to? How did that happen?’ I was calculating the distance and time and it wasn’t adding up, and it threw me for a few seconds.”
It soon made sense, however, when White thought about the situation around Lytton that evening, where the Saw Creek wildfire was growing quickly.
“I realized that they were probably on their way to Lytton because of what was going on.”
Barriere was one of several fire departments that mobilized crews and equipment to assist with the Saw Creek blaze; others included Clearwater, Clinton, and Loon Lake. Local RCMP had spotted the grass fire near Ashcroft and had just set up a roadblock when the Barriere truck and crew arrived en route to Lytton.
“I talked to the RCMP after, and they said the fire had been moving quickly,” says White. “It grew really fast, and took them aback, so when they saw Barriere Fire Rescue come to the roadblock, they asked them to put the fire out. They called their chief in Barriere, and she let dispatch know that the fire was out and had been dealt with by Barriere.”
After the blaze was brought under control, White drove to the scene in his own vehicle to have a look at what was going on and take some pictures. He noticed the Barriere crew at the Travel Centre and went over to thank them for their quick actions.
It’s the second “comical” call AFR has fielded in the last year or so, along with the incident in July 2025 when the department was called out to tackle a grass fire sparked by an osprey dropping a fish on hydro lines along Highway 1 near Ashcroft Manor.
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“The osprey last year, and the Barriere call this year, put a smile on my face,” laughs White. “It’s quite comical.”
He becomes more serious, however, when he talks about fire departments coming to each other’s aid.
“As chief, I don’t have a big ego, so I have no problem with another fire department that happens to be passing through our area putting out a fire,” he says. “It’s fantastic, and great teamwork. The actions they took could have prevented something far worse, so a big thanks to Barriere Fire Rescue and the wonderful people there.
“Let’s get it done and keep it safe.”
