A 67-kilometre section of the Columbia and Western Rail Trail will remain part of The Great Trail (formerly known as the Trans Canada Trail) and will be available for recreational purposes year-round.

The first aerial-spraying treatment to eradicate invasive gypsy moths from 167 hectares of rural land in Raspberry, north of Castlegar, will occur next week, weather permitting.

The public is invited to attend a community open house and participate in a discussion about the 2020 gypsy moth aerial spray treatment program planned for an area north of Castlegar (Raspberry).

The BC Wildfire Service reminds its industry partners to use caution when carrying out industrial and high-risk activities, since the Southeast Fire Centre is experiencing a heightened number of Category 3 incidents.

Effective at noon (Pacific time) on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, Category 3 open fires will once again be permitted in the Invermere, Cranbrook and Boundary fire zones throughout the Southeast Fire Centre’s jurisdiction.

The BC Wildfire Service is using a modified response on the eastern perimeter of the Bernard Creek wildfire, which covers about 4.7 hectares and is burning about five kilometres west of Mount Loki, across Kootenay Lake from Kaslo.

Effective at noon (Pacific time) on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, Category 2 and Category 3 open burning prohibitions within the Southeast Fire Centre’s jurisdiction will be amended, due to a decreased wildfire risk.

The BC Wildfire Service is responding to the Bernard Creek fire, approximately five kilometres west of Mount Loki, which is located on the east side of Kootenay Lake near Kaslo.

Effective at noon Pacific time on Monday, July 29, 2019, Category 2 open burning will be prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, including the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District and the Selkirk Natural Resource District.

The B.C. government has allocated another $1,413,349 in Community Resiliency Investment program grants to eight local governments and First Nations communities in the Southeast Fire Centre to help support wildfire risk reduction projects.