Wildfire Management Branch personnel will be conducting a series of small burns north of Merritt off the Coquihalla Highway, between Thursday, April 30 and Tuesday, May 5, 2015.

These controlled burns are in preparation for a week-long training course called “Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination”. Along with their classroom studies, students will be working at the sites of these small fires.

Wildfire Management Branch firefighters will learn how to determine where the fires started, what caused them and how they spread. They 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.

The Wildfire Management Branch would like to thank the public for its continued help in preventing wildfires. If you see flames or smoke, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or dial *5555 on your cellphone.

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

You can also follow the latest wildfire news:

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

On Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Media Contacts:

Kelsey Winter
Fire Information Officer
Wildfire Management Branch
Kamloops Fire Centre
250 554-5964