You may see some smoke in the sky near Blackwater Road next week as there will be some controlled burning in the area.
The B.C. Wildfire Service plans to burn piles of accumulated woody debris at the site in the Prince George Fire Zone, as part of ongoing fuel management treatments to reduce wildfire risks.
This burn project will cover about 3.8 hectares southeast of Prince George, north of Frenkel Road and south of Highway 16.
The debris burning is scheduled to start on Tuesday, Sept. 3 and will continue periodically until Friday, Nov. 1, but the exact timing will depend on site and weather conditions.
Smoke and flames may be visible from Highway 16, Blackwater Road, and Frenkel Road.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says the key goals of this fuel management project include:
- Reducing accumulations of ground fuels that would be available to burn in a wildfire
- Mitigating the risk of fires in interface areas (where urban development borders on forested areas)
- Breaking up continuous forest fuels within 200m of residential properties
The debris piles will be lit only if conditions are suitable and allow for quick smoke dissipation.
Open fires must comply with the Environmental Management Act and the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation.
This helps minimize the amount of smoke generated.
Once the debris piles are ignited, the intention is to extinguish them within 24 hours.
B.C. Wildfire Service personnel will be onsite with firefighting equipment to monitor and control the burn piles at all times.
