There will be some burning in the Okanagan Landing area of Vernon on Thursday, for wildfire mitigation purposes.
Vernon Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) advised Tuesday that a prescribed burn is scheduled for March 20 in the Longacre-Apollo Road area as part of ongoing wildfire risk reduction efforts.
The burn will be conducted on city-owned land and is a collaborative effort between VFRS and BC Wildfire Service. It is subject to suitable weather conditions and other environmental factors, VFRS said.
BC Wildfire Service will be preparing the site on Wednesday in anticipation of Thursday's burn.
鈥淧rescribed burns are an important tool used to reduce risk on the landscape,鈥� said Fire Chief David Lind. 鈥淧artnering with BC Wildfire Service to manage vegetation in this area provides us an opportunity to work together in preparation for the upcoming wildfire season. We appreciate the public鈥檚 understanding and cooperation as we carry out this important work.鈥�
Darcy MacLeod, wildfire officer with BC Wildfire, said fire is a normal and natural process in many ecosystems in B.C., which is why it is used proactively to protect communities.
鈥淭he BC Wildfire Service works regularly with a range of partners to undertake fuel management activities, including the use of prescribed burns, to help reduce the severity of future wildfires and related threats to communities. These projects are carefully planned and only go ahead at the right times and under the right conditions to ensure community and practitioner safety," MacLeod said.
VFRS and BC Wildfire Service will be on site and have risk controls in place throughout the operation.
The prescribed burn is expected to last one day, followed by two days of patrols to check for hot spots. This schedule could change depending on the weather and site conditions.
Residents in the area may notice smoke during the burn.
To prevent smoke from entering their homes, residents in the area of Longacre-Apollo Road are advised to keep windows closed during the burn.
A map of the burn area can be seen in the above photo gallery.
