The Firebrand (Ruby-Jack) occurrence is located at an elevation of approximately 1000 metres, west of Krao Creek and approximately 700 metres southwest of the south end of Loon Lake.

Regionally, the area is underlain by hornblende schists, limestone and banded quartzite of the Upper Mississippian to Permian Milford Formation and basaltic volcanic rocks of the Carboniferous to Permian Kaslo Group. Granodioritic intrusive rocks of the Middle Jurassic Nelson Batholith are exposed to the west.

The workings occur along a quartz vein that strikes 340 degrees and dips approximately 65 degrees west in a coarsely crystalline limestone that contains irregular bunches of galena, sphalerite and siderite. Rare wire silver occurs in cavities and seams. The hostrocks are micaceous quartzite and quartz-mica schist that lie west of a layer of hornblende schist, all of the Mississippian to Permian Milford Formation. The vein is found intermittently along strike for approximately 150 metres.

Recorded production of 15 tonnes for 1924 shows that 56 981 grams of silver and 1569 kilograms of lead were recovered.

Work History

Although the Firebrand is an old property, there are few published accounts of the work done on it. Two shallow shafts, a number of opencuts and a short adit were developed in the first half of the 1900s. Minor production is reported in 1924. In 1928, F. Bureau and J. Brennan and Associates conducted a small amount of surface work and by this time an inclined shaft had been driven for 18.3 metres. In 1955, a shaft was sunk approximately 9 metres.

In 1979, David Minerals Ltd. conducted a program of geochemical (stream and silt) sampling on the area as the Peanut Butter claims of the Ainsworth property.

In 1983, Ewing Oil Corp. conducted a program of prospecting and rock sampling on the area as the Firebrand property. Six samples (No. 1 through 6) from the main shaft yielded an average of 6.43 per cent lead, 3.38 per cent zinc and 966 grams per tonne silver, and a dump sample (No. 12) assayed 0.08 per cent lead, 13.80 per cent zinc and 689 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 12492). Also at this time, sampling of test pits located approximately 50 metres north and south of the shaft yielded values of up to 3.72 per cent lead, 24.90 per cent zinc and 713 grams per tonne silver. (from pit D, sample No. 11; Assessment Report 12492).

In 1989, South Kootenay Goldfields Inc., on behalf of Dragoon Resources Ltd., conducted a program of prospecting, geological mapping and rock sampling on the area as the Peanut Butter property. A rock sample (E49706) from the upper shaft yielded 3.44 per cent lead, 21.9 per cent zinc and 365 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 19130).

In 2012, David Wallach prospected and rock sampled the area as the Ainsworth property. An undescribed rock sample (1986628) from the occurrence area assayed greater than 1.00 per cent zinc and lead, each, and 34.3 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 33426).

In 2022, a 72.0 line-kilometre airborne (drone) magnetic survey was conducted on the area as the Ainsworth Mill property.