The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations is conducting an ecosystem restoration burn near Johnstone Creek between April 8 and April 30, 2015, weather conditions permitting.

This controlled burn will cover 25 hectares and smoke may be visible from Rock Creek and surrounding areas. Smoke may be present for several days, as fires within the burn control lines are extinguished.

Fire is a natural, normal process in many ecosystems. It can be beneficial and necessary to maintain a healthy forest and a diversity of plant and animal life. Through evolution and exposure to wildfires, many plants and animals have adapted to fire and actually depend on it to reproduce.

Historically, grasslands and an open forest canopy have been maintained in the Boundary Region through frequent, low-intensity ground fires. In the absence of naturally occurring fires in recent decades, the planned site of the Johnstone Creek ecosystem restoration fire has become overgrown. This prescribed fire, combined with logging, thinning and brush-clearing projects, will help the area return to its natural state.

The goal of this project is to reduce ecosystem degradation by reintroducing fire to the landscape, which will enhance winter habitat for a variety of ungulates, improve overall biodiversity, create a more open forest habitat and increase the availability of food sources such as shrubs and grasses. This project will help maintain or improve habitat quality for native species at risk, with a particular focus on a bird known as the Williamson’s sapsucker.

The overall reduction in the amount of combustible material (fuel load) will also improve the area’s fire resiliency and decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

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

For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, visit: http://www.bcwildfire.ca

You can also follow the latest wildfire news on:

Twitter at: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo

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A factsheet follows.

Media Contacts:

Jordan Turner
Fire Information Officer
Wildfire Management Branch
Southeast Fire Centre
250 365-4014

FACTSHEET

Prescribed burning used as ecosystem management tool

• Fire is a normal, natural process in many of British Columbia’s ecosystems. Many species of plants, birds, insects and other animals depend on fire for its regenerative properties.
• Fire helps control insects and the spread of disease in forests. It also contributes to forest regeneration, as younger trees replace older trees. Having trees of various ages in a forest helps create biodiversity.
• Prescribed burning is one of the tools used by resource management professionals to achieve land management objectives. For example, fire can be used to enhance habitat and improve forage for elk, deer, bighorn sheep and moose. A controlled burn also can reduce fuel loads (combustible material such as underbrush and dead wood) and reduce the risk of wildfire in interface areas (where urban development borders on rural areas).
• The size and intensity of prescribed burns are carefully planned and controlled to meet management objectives for fire-maintained ecosystems. Prescribed burns are only ignited when weather conditions are favourable and when the fire will not create excessive smoke. Important factors that are used to determine the date of a burn include the venting index, temperature, humidity and wind conditions.
• The venting index is a measure of how quickly smoke will disperse under specific conditions. Prescribed fires may only be ignited on days when the forecast for the venting index is “good”.
• All prescribed burns must comply with the Environmental Management Act and the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation. This helps minimize the amount of smoke generated.
• A prescribed burn is ignited and continuously monitored by trained firefighting crews to ensure that the fire does not get out of control. The fire crew supervisor (the “burn boss”) is responsible for ensuring that the initial burn conditions are favourable and that the fire is extinguished once the prescribed burn is completed.

Media Contacts:

Jordan Turner
Fire Information Officer
Wildfire Management Branch
Southeast Fire Centre
250 365-4014