A 350-hectare ecosystem restoration burn is planned near the Old Kimberley Airport area, about 18 kilometres east of the community.
The Southeast Fire Centre said the exact start time of the burn will be determined by on-site weather conditions, but it could start on Monday at the earliest.
Smoke from the flames will be visible from Kimberley, Cranbrook, other nearby communities and drivers travelling along Highway 93 and 95A.
According to the Southeast Fire Centre, the goals of the prescribed burn include:
- Restoring a more open forest structure by reducing tree density.
- Maintaining wildlife ecosystems, including ungulate winter range.
- Rejuvenating understory vegetation, such as smaller plants growing under the tree canopy.
- Reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires in the area.
“Fire is a normal and natural process in many of B.C.’s ecosystems. The BC Wildfire Service works regularly with land managers to undertake fuel management activities (including the use of prescribed burns), to help restore ecosystem dynamics and reduce the severity of future wildfires and related threats to communities,” said the Southeast Fire Centre.
Planning for the burn was made by the Rocky Mountain Trench Natural Resources Society and the BC Wildfire Service.
