The Wildfire Management Branch will be conducting a series of prescribed burns near D’Arcy between April 14 and May 31, weather conditions permitting.

This work is being done in co-operation with the N’Quatqua First Nations.

These controlled fires will be lit about 27 kilometres northeast of Pemberton and will cover about 20 hectares. They will burn the forest understory (brush, small trees and other vegetation) while leaving larger trees intact and helping to restore open forest conditions.

Smoke will be visible around the community of D’Arcy, in the Devine area and from the northern portion of the Pemberton Portage road. Trained wildfire personnel will carefully monitor the fire at all times, and undertake fire control and suppression actions to meet the objectives of the prescribed burn.

These burns will mimic naturally occurring ground fires, reducing the amount of dead and combustible material in grassland and open forest areas, enhancing berry production and improving wildlife habitat. Reintroducing fire into the ecosystem in a controlled manner also encourages the growth of deciduous shrubs, herbs and grasses to promote biodiversity.

Removal of forest fuels will help reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires in the D’Arcy and Devine areas and help protect a communications tower in the event of a wildfire.

These controlled burns are part of a multi-year prescription to return the local forest to a more natural state. More burning will likely be done on this project this fall if weather conditions and wildfire activity levels permit.

When they become available, photos of the burn will be posted on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Learn More:

Information about prescribed burning is available on the Wildfire Management Branch website at: http://bcwildfire.ca/Prevention/PrescribedFire/

A factsheet follows.

Media Contacts:

Donna MacPherson and Marg Drysdale
Fire Information Officers
Wildfire Management Branch
Coastal Fire Centre
250 951-4209

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 succession, as younger trees replace older trees. Having trees of various ages in a forest helps creates biodiversity.
• Prescribed burning is one of the tools used by forest professionals to achieve land management objectives. For example, fire can be used to enhance habitat and improve forage for cattle, 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.
• 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.

Details about the Pemberton and D’Arcy prescribed fires

• The Wildfire Management Branch is working closely with the N’Quatqua Band Council and the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society (FNESS) to conduct this burn, with funding provided by the Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative.
• Historically, the N’Quatqua First Nations used similar low-intensity burning techniques and this prescribed burn will help return the area to a more natural state.

Media Contacts:

Donna MacPherson and Marg Drysdale
Fire Information Officers
Wildfire Management Branch
Coastal Fire Centre
250 951-4209