A prescribed burn near Yunesit’in is being conducted by the BC Wildfire Service in partnership with the Yunesit’in Government.
BC Wildfire Information Officer Helena Marken says it will take place 7 kilometers west of the Yunesit’in community and 25 kilometers southeast of Alexis Creek on the south side of the Chilcotin River.
“The prescribed burn is about 88 hectares in size and may begin as early as April 13 (today) and will continue periodically until April 30, 2021.
“We want to mitigate the wildfire risk to the community by decreasing the fuel load, ” Marken said, “and the fuel load is combustible material like underbrush and deadwood that has accumulated on the landscape, and by mitigating these fuels and reducing them, what this does is reduces the intensity of future wildfires in the area so that they’re safer and easier for wildfire personnel to suppress.”
This prescribed burn is an excellent training opportunity for the local Yunesit’in crews who will work alongside BC Wildfire Service crews.
Marken added that smoke and flames from this prescribed burn will be highly visible from Yunesit’in, Highway 20, and surrounding areas, and Firefighters will closely monitor this fire at all times.