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Five prescribed burns planned in region this spring
The BC Wildfire Service reports it will be supporting land managers across the Southeast Fire Centre with approximately nine prescribed burn projects this spring in the Kootenays, with five in the East Kootenay.
These burns are planned to take place throughout the region to support a range of objectives, including ecosystem restoration, wildfire risk reduction, and site preparation.
This is not an exhaustive list; new or additional prescribed burns can be added and others removed depending on weather and site conditions.
As burn windows are identified, individual information bulletins will be released with project details, including potential burn windows, locations, and objectives.
For prescribed burn operations to happen, weather and site conditions must align to create what is known as a “burn window.” Crews monitor current and forecast weather, fuel moisture levels, and other site conditions to determine when that window has opened.
These conditions are outlined in an approved burn plan to help ensure objectives such as wildfire risk reduction and ecosystem restoration can be achieved, while also minimizing the risk of fire spread and smoke impacts.
If a suitable burn window is not identified this spring, burns that are not completed will be postponed until the fall or the following year, BC Wildfire Service said.
The interactive Open Fire Tracking System (OFTS) Registered Burns and Prescribed Fire Map allows anyone to see the locations of all active registered burn projects, as well as any that expired in the last seven days across B.C. Access the Open Fire Tracking System map here: OFTS Registered Burns and Prescribed Fire Map.
Updates on prescribed burns taking place throughout the Southeast region can be found on BCWildfire.ca under latest news.
Safety is the top priority when planning and implementing a prescribed burn. Every prescribed burn requires a burn plan, and all burn plans identify specific objectives and clearly outline required elements. This can include things like weather conditions, equipment, mitigation plans, and post-fire monitoring.
Watch this video to learn more.
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