The BC Wildfire Service will be conducting a series of prescribed fuel management burns in the Selkirk Heights area (near Golden) from Sept. 7-9, 2016, if site and weather conditions are favourable.

Twenty highly trained BC Wildfire Service personnel will conduct these burns and carefully monitor the fires at all times. 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.

The resulting reduction in forest fuel loads in the area will help decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfires in future.

During these burns, smoke will be visible from Golden and surrounding areas. Public access to some trail systems in the Selkirk Heights area may be restricted during this period, but on-site staff will explain any restrictions to anyone attempting to enter the area.

Fire is a natural, normal process in many ecosystems and is beneficial for maintaining a healthy forest and a diversity of plant and animal life. Many plants and animals have adapted to fire and some actually depend on it to reproduce.

Current fire prohibitions

The public is reminded that the Southeast Fire Centre currently has Category 2 and Category 3 open burning prohibitions in effect. Specifically, the following activities are prohibited:

• the burning of any waste, slash or other materials
• stubble or grass fires of any size over any area
• the use of fireworks, sky lanterns or burning barrels of any size or description

These prohibitions do not ban campfires that are smaller than a half-metre high by a half-metre wide, and they do not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes.

These prohibitions cover all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands, but do not apply within the boundaries of a local government that has forest fire prevention bylaws and is serviced by a fire department. Please check with local authorities for any other restrictions before lighting any fire.

A map of the areas affected by the current Category 2 and Category 3 open fire prohibitions is available online at: http://ow.ly/El0n301JyDh

Campfires are currently allowed throughout the Southeast Fire Centre, but anyone lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire area and must have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire.

A campfire should not be lit or kept burning in windy conditions. Make sure the fire is fully extinguished and the ashes are cold to the touch before leaving the area for any length of time.

The Southeast Fire Centre extends from the U.S. border in the south to Mica Dam in the north and from the Okanagan Highlands and Monashee Mountains in the west to the B.C.-Alberta border in the east. It includes the Selkirk Natural Resource District and the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District.

To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, 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 

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

Learn More:

A Factsheet about prescribed burns and ecosystem restoration burns is available online at: http://bit.ly/1haDzED