Twenty-one members of the Korean Forest Service will arrive in Salmon Arm on Oct. 2 to learn wildfire investigation techniques from B.C.'s expert firefighters.

The visitors will participate in a two-week course called Wildland Fire Investigation: Origin and Cause Determination. In addition to classroom studies, the students will work in the field to investigate small, controlled fires that were purposely ignited and then extinguished by a local fire crew last week near Silver Creek.

The Korean Forest Service crews will work to determine where and how these fires started, and how they spread over the course of a day. Working alongside B.C. firefighters and instructors, the students will also be trained to collect evidence that (in the case of a real wildfire) could be used to prosecute the person who started the fire.

As a recognized leader in fire suppression techniques, British Columbia's Wildfire Management Branch promotes international co-operation and the sharing of knowledge between agencies. This is the fourth year that Korean Forest Service personnel have received training with the Wildfire Management Branch.

For the latest information on fire activity, conditions and wildfire regulations, please visit the Wildfire Management Branch website: www.bcwildfire.ca

To report a wildfire, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on your cellphone.

Learn more:

You can follow the latest B.C. wildfire news:

• on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
• on Facebook: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Media Contact:

Melissa Welsh
Fire Information Officer
Wildfire Management Branch
Kamloops Fire Centre
250 554-5964 (office) 250 371-4538 (cell)