Prescribed burn to happen near Canadian Rockies International Airport

A prescribed burn will be carried out by the City of Cranbrook on Thursday morning near the Canadian Rockies International Airport.

The City said smoke from the 22-hectare fire will likely be visible from Cranbrook, Kimberley, and Fort Steele.

The parcel of land, which straddles the airport road entrance, will be burned to manage fuel loads and limit conifer regeneration.

Cranbrook said the fire will also help manage dead wood and other combustible materials, promote ecological diversity and reduce wildfire risk.

“We are tackling this work as part of a larger coordinated effort to protect communities and infrastructure, with our partners and neighbors in ʔaq’am, Kimberley, the BC Wildfire Service, MFLNRORD staff and local industry,” said the City of Cranbrook.

“Fire is a very normal and natural process in this ecosystem, and it is our intention to return this landscape to a healthy, fire resistive state.”