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Kamloops Fire Centre 2016.03.23
Controlled burning is a vital step to preparing for fire season.
Another wildfire season is almost upon us and fire prevention and
public education activities already underway. Unit crew leaders
have undergone fitness testing and fire-fighters will soon follow
suit. At this time of year, controlled burning is one of the
primary fire prevention methods. Forest litter that has accumulated
during the fall and winter months will soon be snow-free and will
begin to dry out. This increases the risk of early-season
wildfires. Crews will also advantage of the remaining snow cover
and safe weather conditions to clear ladder
fuels and burn slash piles in areas that could become high-risk
in the coming months. Planning a burn Resource managers need to
have a sound understanding of fire behav-iour and its short-term
and long-term effects on the environment. In addition, different
ecosystems and plant species respond to fire in different ways.
Optimum burning conditions are needed. Controlled burns are to
minimize smoke transmission to areas where people live.
Firefighters from the Kamloops Zone supported a controlled burn
conducted by
the City of Kamloops in Kenna Cartwright Nature Park.
WHAT IS A HECTARE?
When it comes to wildfires,
size can be an important is-
sue. The BC Wildfire Service
keeps track of how big a fire
is by recording the number
of hectares consumed.
1 hectare (ha) is a metric
unit that equals 10,000 m2,
1 hectare equals 2.47 acres.
1 hectare is about the size of
an average public sports
field.
WHO TO CALL IF . . .
I need to report a wildfire: 1
800 663-5555 (*5555 on a
cellphone)
I want to conduct a Category
3 burn: 1 888 797-1717
I already have a burn regis-
tration number and I want to
know the venting index in
my area: 1 877 6637867
I want more information on
wildfire news, burning re-
strictions and fire bans: 1
888 336-7378
I want to report an open
burning smoke violation: 1
877 952-7277
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P A G E 2
BC WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
Implementation of the B.C. Wildland Fire Manage-ment Strategy
will result in healthier forest and range ecosystems; communities
that are less at risk from fire and smoke; and a more
cost-effective fire suppression program. This will be achieved by
adopting a proactive approach:
1. Reduce fire hazards and risks (particularly in and around
communities and other high-value areas).
2. Carefully use controlled burning where the bene-fits are
clearly defined and the risks can be cost-effectively managed.
3. Monitor and manage, rather than suppress, fires that are of
minimal risk to communities, infrastruc-ture or resource
values.
4. Implement land, natural resource and community planning that
incorporates management of wildland fire at all appropriate
scales
5. Develop a high level of public awareness and sup-port for
wildland fire management.
These measures, combined with our continuing commitment to
aggressive action against unwanted fire, will help lead the world
in sustainable environ-mental management, with the best air and
water quality, and the best fisheries management bar none.
More than 50 per cent of the provinces landmass is covered by
natural forest and rangelands. These ecosystems are critical for
maintaining clean air and water, and provide a wide variety of
commercial and non-commercial goods and services important to the
people and the economy of B.C.
Fire is a natural and essential ecological process in most of
B.C.s forests and rangeland. However, it
can also have undesirable social and economic im-pacts,
threatening human health, safety and proper-ty. Balancing the
potential benefits and risks of wildland fire is a complex task for
land managers, natural resource managers and fire managers. It is
also a task that is vital to public safety and the sus-tainable
management of forests and rangelands in the province.
It is not possible or desirable to exclude all fire from the
forest and range environment, but to protect communities,
infrastructure and natural resources from fire damage. Two
interdependent components of the Provinces approach to wildland
fire: proac-tive fire management (addressed by this Strategy); and
aggressive fire suppression.
A fire an appropriate distance from important re-
sources and inhabited areas can be beneficial.
A BCWS firefighter removes a danger tree
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Prescribed burn projects scheduled in Lyt-ton area KAMLOOPSThe
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations is
planning to conduct five prescribed burns in the Lillooet Fire
Zone. These controlled burns are sched-uled to start on March 7,
2016, and conclude by April 25, 2016. The exact timing of the burns
will depend on weather and site conditions. They will proceed only
if fire behaviour conditions are suitable and will allow for quick
smoke dissipation and low to moderate fire intensity. The burns
will reduce wildfire risks for resi-dents in nearby areas, while
helping to restore elk habitat. Smoke will be visible from the
Vil-lage of Lytton, the Gladwin community, Kum-sheen Rafting
Resort, Skuppah First Nation, Sis-ka First Nation, Highway 1 and
Highway 12. Trained wildfire crews will carefully monitor these
controlled fires: - The 11.8-hectare Mill Burn is planned to take
place 2.5 kilometres south of Lytton. - The Spencer Road burn will
cover 14.3 hec-tares west of the Fraser River and the Village of
Lytton.
- The BC Wildfire Service is working with the Village of Lytton
to conduct a 2.6-hectare controlled burn next to Kumsheen Secondary
school. - The 21.3-hectare Loring Way burn is planned to take place
2.8 kilometres south of Lytton and east of Highway 1. - The
36.9-hectare Kumsheen Rafting Resort burn is planned to take place
3.5 kilometres northeast of the Village of Lytton, adjacent to
Highway 1 and across from Kumsheen Rafting Resort. The goal of
these burns is to mimic naturally occurring ground fires and reduce
the level of dead and combustible material in grassland and open
forest areas. Removal of these forest fuels helps reduce the threat
of interface wild-fires. Fire can also discourage insect
infesta-tions and help fire-adapted plant species repro-duce. To
report a wildfire, please call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free, or *5555
on a cellphone. Follow the latest B.C. wildfire news:
CONTACT
Max Birkner Fire Information Officer BC Wildfire Service
Kamloops Fire Centre 250 554-5964 (office) 250 318-7456 (cell)
A prescribed fire burns near Lytton in 2015.
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Kamloops Fire Centre
CLEARWATER The Ray Farm burn is a semi-annual burn in Wells Gray
Pro-vincial Park. The intent of the burn is to maintain the rare
open meadow complex around the historical Ray Farm and mineral
springs by killing conifer seedlings that are spreading into the
meadows. Typically, BC Parks staff and fire zone staff do hand
ignition of the meadows with minimal mop-up. Measures are taken to
protect the historic homestead build-ings. Public access into this
area of the park is normally still closed when the burn occurs. The
Peddie burn will remove cedar and hemlock logging slash. BC Timber
Sales has asked for assistance in completing this burn. The
Clearwater Fire Zone is assisting with plan-ning , ignition and
possibly mop up. KAMLOOPS Kenna Cartwright burn: The City of
Kamloops is conducting a burn in Kenna Cartwright Nature Park with
support from the BC Wildfire Service. The burn will cover 15
hectares and smoke will be visible from Kamloops, and from highways
leading into the city. The City of Kamloops is conducting the burn
to reduce the risk of interface fires. The Upper Hat Creek Ranch
burn will cover 400 hectares and is being conducted by the Thompson
Rivers Resource District, with support from the BC Wildfire
Service. The intent of the burn is to improve habitat and range
throughout the area. VERNON The South Fork burn, east of
Cherryville, will be a 15-hectare eco-system restoration burn. It
will be visible from Cherryville and Highway 6. The Satellite Hill
burn south of Lumby is an eco-restoration burn that will cover 80
hectares and will be visible from Lumby, Coldstream, Vernon and
High-way 6. MERRIT The Monck Provincial Park burn will be an
eight-hectare eco-system restoration burn that will be visible from
Nicola Lakeshore Estates, residences west of the park (along or
near Monck Park Road) and Highway 5A.
Adam Buchanan (left) and Hamish Dellow initiate a
controlled burn.
BC Wildfire Service firefighter Tyler Jackson watches a
controlled burn at Kenna Cart-
wright Nature Park. Firefighters monitor burns to ensure that
they do not escape.
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P A G E 5
Kamloops Fire Centre Indices
The FFMC (Fine Fuel Moisture Code) is a
code that measures the dryness of fine fuels
(grasses, needles, etc.). A number of 85 or
higher indicates a good chance of a fire start
from an ignition source. Once 90 or higher is
reached, all the fine fuels are available to
burn.
The DMC (Duff Moisture Code) measures
about 10 cm into the ground and is an indica-
tion of whether a fire that starts will continue
to burn in the duff. A number of 40 or great-
er would indicate that a fire will continue to
burn.
The DC is the Drought Code, measuring
deeper in the ground. A number of 300 or
greater indicates that the fire will burn deep
into the ground, providing challenges to mop
it up.
The Danger Class is the typical Fire Danger
Rating that is seen on fire signage, where 1
and 2 represent low, 3 is moderate, 4 is
high and 5 is extreme.
Want more information? Visit the website at bcwildfire.ca
Important Numbers Report a Wildfire *5555 on a cell or 1 800
663-5555
Wildfire Information Line 1 888 3FOREST (336-7378)
Burn Registration Line 1 888 797-1717
Kamloops Fire Centre 250 554-5500
Media and Public Line 250 554-5965