Three wildfires that contributed to that dark, apocalyptic day in Prince George during the summer of 2018 (seen above) took place near Francois Lake.
The Nadina Lake, Verdun Mountain and Cheslatta fires were part of B.C.’s worst season on record of more than 1.35 million hectares burned, keeping first responders busy in all corners of the province.
Today (Oct. 15), the BC Wildfire Service is beginning pile burns of unsalvageable wood debris in those areas as a way to prevent any future possible blazes.
Depending on weather conditions, the burns are set to continue until some time in November.
Prince George residents are known to vacation near Francois Lake or in the Bulkley Valley and Lakes District.
Communities will see smoke, but there’s no threat to public safety as crews will be monitoring the pile burns and will take place when smoke is said to dissipate quickly.
“The burns are part of an ongoing project that the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development has been conducting since the fall of 2018 to rehabilitate areas affected by wildfire suppression activities, such as the removal of trees and vegetation to establish fireguards,” the BC Wildfire Service says in a statement.
“In 2018, 165 wildfires burned more than 800,000 hectares within the Northwest Fire Centre. Rehabilitation prescriptions were written for 14 of those fires and 11 of the sites have already been fully rehabilitated. When this fall's pile burning is complete, the remaining three sites will also be considered fully rehabilitated. These locations will continue to be monitored for any land-based concerns that could arise during the spring freshet, such as erosion.”
The pile-burning sites are as follows:
- Nadina Lake wildfire
- About 40 km southwest of Houston
- Verdun Mountain wildfire
- About 35 km south of Burns Lake
- Cheslatta Lake wildfire
- About 59 km southeast of Burns Lake
To report any wildfire at any given time, or if you see an unattended campfire or open-burning violation, you’re urged to call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on your cellphone.
