The City of Prince George will begin targeted wildfire mitigation work in local forested areas next month.
Contracted staff will be removing vegetation, particularly dead organic material, from three forested areas of the city that, if ignited, would pose risk to people, property, and infrastructure.
Each of the three projects is expected to take about 30 days and all are anticipated to be completed by the end of winter.
The projects scheduled for fuel mitigation are:
- Malaspina
- West of the Fraser River, to the south of Stillwater Crescent and east of Loedel Crescent and operations, are scheduled to begin in late December.
- Broddy Road
- South of Tyner Blvd., north of Highway 16 and operations are scheduled to begin in early to mid-January.
- Pidherny Recreation Site
- North of North Nechako Road, west of Foothills Blvd and operations are scheduled to begin by the end of January.
“These treatment areas were identified as high priority in the City’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which is aimed at reducing the threat posed by interface wildfires, while maintaining ecological and community values,” said Kailyn van der Ham, an environmental technician with the City of Prince George.
“Wildfire mitigation involves the prescriptive removal of dead and highly flammable vegetation to limit potential fire spread and intensity. Typically, mature healthy trees are retained and the growth of deciduous trees and shrubs is promoted, while hazard trees and other high risk fuels are removed.”
The city sent over 150 letters to residents in properties adjacent to the subject areas, advising them of the work that is about to start. To minimize ground disturbance associated with the work, these activities take place during the winter when the ground is frozen.
While operations are active, access to these areas may be restricted, as concealed hazards may exist and residents are encouraged to follow all signage located near the worksites.
