The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, with the support of its Rocky Mountain Trench Ecosystem Restoration Program partners, is conducting an ecosystem restoration burn on Rabbit Mountain today, Friday, April 8.

Smoke from this controlled burn will be visible from the community of Elko and surrounding areas, and from Highway 3 and Highway 93. Trained BC Wildfire Service personnel will carefully monitor this burn at all times.

The 80-hectare controlled burn on Rabbit Mountain is part of an ecosystem restoration prescription for multiple areas within the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District.

This year’s controlled burn is tied into previous fuel reduction projects in the region. It will help rejuvenate the shrub and grass layer, reduce fuel loads, and decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfires for the community of Elko and a nearby sawmill.

Fire is a natural, normal process in many ecosystems and is beneficial for maintaining a healthy forest and a diversity of plant and animal life. Many plants and animals have adapted to fire and some actually depend on it to reproduce, a Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations BC Wildfire Service press release noted.

All prescribed burns must comply with the Environmental Management Act and the open burning smoke control regulation. This helps minimize the amount of smoke generated.

To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.

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