If you see fire up in the hills, don’t panic.
Forest protection staff are reminding the public that this is the time of year that forest companies burn their often-extensive wood waste piles, a process that may be accompanied by spectacular flames.
Over the past several weeks, the Salmon Arm Fire Department has been dispatched to fires reported by worried members of the public who have called 911 mistaking them for brush or wildfires.
“But, as much of a nuisance as it has been a couple of times, we’d rather be safe than sorry,” says Salmon Arm Fire Chief Brad Shirley. “We certainly don’t want to have the public not call if they think it is something we should attend to.”
All large burns must be registered with the province and fire protection officer Larry Osachoff says there are more than 180 burns registered in the Salmon Arm Fire Zone alone.
“This year for some reason there has been an increased number of people panicking,” he says, noting industrial burns are carefully planned and monitored.
On Nov. 1 the Kamloops Fire Centre issued a press release advising members of the public that weather conditions make it safe to burn debris piles. This also reduces wildfire risk for the upcoming fire season.
“More than 1,690 burn registration numbers have been issued throughout the Kam-loops Fire Centre, which means several projects will be occurring until date-driven open burning restrictions come back into effect next spring,” says the release.
Osachoff adds that with recent rains and now snow at higher elevations, there is very little risk that the slash burns will spread.
“There are people who don’t burn without snow,” he says. “Industry or landowners, they meet the requirements and there’s less chance of a fire even going two feet.”
When smoke is reported by the public, burn registration numbers are used to pinpoint active, compliant burn operations so that officials do not investigate smoke reports as possible wildfires.
To view registered burns, visit bcwildfire.ca.
