The Kimberley Fire Department, along with the BC Wildfire Service, will be conducting a controlled burn in the Kimberley Nature Park this Saturday, should weather conditions allow.
The objective of this treatment is to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires in the Wildland Urban Interface adjacent to the City of Kimberley.
The burn will begin at the Levirs/Burdett entrance to the Nature Park and burn toward the gravel pit.
Fire Chief Al Collinson says that the burn will begin between 9 and 10 a.m. and last about six hours.
“We are shooting to go this Saturday,” he said. “This burn was cancelled a couple of times. We tried last fall but we had to wait until the golf course (Trickle Creek) closed. This time we are going prior to opening.”
There is a bit of rain in the forecast for the next couple of days, but not too much, and a warm front is forecast to roll in by the weekend so it should be a go, Collinson says.
“A weather change would cancel the burn,” he said. “If conditions are good, the smoke should rise but we still are asking people to close their windows. There is potential for smoke.”
Collinson says there will be Kimberley Fire Department personnel on scene as well as BC Wildfire Service people.
“There will be a minimum of 15 people on scene, “ he said.
The purpose of the burn is to get rid of ground debris from the thinning program conducted last year and any re-generation from that program.
“This should provide us with a ten to 15 year window of no work in that area,” he said.
The Fire Department is asking people to stay well clear of that area of the Nature Park on Saturday.
The City of Kimberley would like to thank you for your cooperation.
For additional information contact the Fire Department at 427-4114.