Joint training exercises with the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) and the Ktunaxa Nation are currently underway in ʔaq̓am.
Kiah Allen, Knowledge and Capacity Development Coordinator with the BCWS said the Kootenay ʔa·kinq̓uku TREX focuses on prescribed burn training.
“It’s a two-week field-based curriculum with participants from across the province who are coming to learn about the planning, implementation and monitoring of prescribed and cultural fires,” said Allen.
“This is going to include live fire field exercises as well as a classroom component.”
Participants from Ktunaxa member bands, First Nations Emergency Services Society, the BC Wildfire Service and local partners will take part in the training program.
Allen said the main purpose is to share knowledge between different groups who use prescribed and cultural burns.
“The curriculum was jointly organized by the BC Wildfire Service, the Ktunaxa Nation the First Nations Emergency Services Society and some other experts like fire ecologists and fire behaviours specialists,” said Allen.
“This is an important exercise to help bridge knowledge gaps and share different understandings in the field of prescribed fires.”
Allen explained how prescribed burns can play a role in Indigenous culture.
“A cultural fire is a practice that has been used by indigenous people around the world, including here in B.C.,” said Allen.
“It’s utilized for different objectives that a nation may have. It could have cultural or ecological objectives.”
Prescribed burns can play a role in wildfire risk reduction by burning up fuels for a potentially dangerous wildfire.
“It can reintroduce fire to the landscape in a manner that is controlled,” said Allen.
“Prescribed burns are very carefully planned and executed. The timing is very important, so they’re only ever conducted in our spring or fall burn season when we have lower fire risks.”
The training program will be ongoing until Sept. 28 at ʔaq̓am.
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