The BC Wildfire Service plans to burn about 115 piles of woody debris in three separate locations within the Cariboo Fire Centre, as part of an ongoing wildfire risk reduction project around automated weather stations.
These piles will be burned to prevent damage to the stations by eliminating fuels that would otherwise be available to burn in the event of a wildfire. Crews will be applying FireSmart principles by removing flammable materials from Zone 1 (up to 10 metres from each tower), and by thinning and pruning trees in Zone 2 (10 to 30 metres from each tower).
Burning could begin as soon as Thursday, October 15, but the exact timing will depend on weather, site conditions, venting conditions and snow cover. The burns will proceed only if conditions are suitable and will allow for quick smoke dissipation.
The locations of the burn sites are:
* Prairie Creek (about five kilometres south of the Prairie Creek recreation site on the south side of Horsefly Lake)
* Place Lake (about 50 kilometres east of Alkali Lake off Place Lake Road)
* Gaspard (about 25 kilometres west of Gang Ranch)
Staff from the BC Wildfire Service will carefully prepare, control and monitor these fires at all times.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, please call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone. Follow the latest B.C. wildfire news:
* on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
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