To help reduce wildfire threats, the BC Wildfire Service will support Yaqan Nukiy (Lower Kootenay Band) in conducting a prescribed burn.
“Fire is a normal and natural process in many of B.C.’s ecosystems,” explained BC Wildfire Service in a release. “(The service) works regularly with land managers to undertake fuel management activities - including the use of prescribed burns - to help achieve land management objectives, reduce the severity of future wildfires, and increase ecosystem and wildfire resilience."
This Yaqan Nukiy-led burn will be located on Creston IR1 along the Kootenay River, approximately 4.6 kilometres south of the Town of Creston, covering up to 20 hectares.
The exact timing of the operation will depend on weather and site conditions but could begin as early as Tuesday, Sept. 17.
Smoke may impact residents near the burn area and will be highly visible from Creston, the surrounding communities, and motorists travelling along Highway 21.
Burning will proceed if conditions are suitable to achieve objectives and allow for smoke dispersal. Despite all precautions to manage it, it is possible that smokey skies may linger for a few days, particularly the morning after the burning starts.
Key goals of the prescribed burn include:
- Reducing the accumulation of dead wood and other combustible materials
- Reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires in the area
- Delaying the growth of competing vegetation
- Restoring the ecosystem by promoting ecological biodiversity
Learn more about prescribed burning at prescribedfire.ca.
For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures, and air-quality advisories, visit bcwildfire.ca.
