Ecosystem restoration burn planned for Gibbs Creek area
By Contributor
The BC Wildfire Service will be supporting the Selkirk Resource District in conducting a 36-hectare ecosystem restoration burn in the Gibbs Creek area of the Southeast Fire Centre, about 6.5 kilometres west of Grand Forks.
Smoke will be visible from Grand Forks, surrounding communities, and to motorists travelling along Highway 3.
The exact timing of this burn will depend on weather and site conditions, but it could begin as early as Thursday, Apr. 8, 2021. Burning will proceed only if conditions are suitable and allow for smoke dispersal, though light smoke may linger in the following days.
Key goals of this prescribed burn include:
- reduce forest fuels
- rejuvenate shrub, herb, and grass layer
- enhance wildlife habitat for ungulates (e.g. deer and elk)
- improve biodiversity at tree stand level, and
- reduce risk of catastrophic wildfires in the area
Fire is a normal and natural process in many of B.C.’s ecosystems. The BC Wildfire Service works regularly with land managers to undertake fuel management activities (including the use of prescribed burns), to help achieve land management objectives, reduce the severity of future wildfires and increase ecosystem and wildfire resilience.
Learn more about prescribed burning online: http://ow.ly/20Su50Ax89j
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 tollfree or *5555 on a cellphone. For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air-quality advisories, visit: http://www.bcwildfire.ca
