Controlled burn to reduce fire risk in Foothills area of Vernon in 2020. (File photo/City of Vernon)

By Pete McIntyre

Weather permitting

Controlled burn planned for Vernon’s Foothills area on Thursday

Apr 6, 2022 | 2:45 PM

Residents may see smoke and fire coming from Vernon’s Foothills area Thursday (Apr. 7), but there is no cause for alarm.

Fire Rescue Services said wildland fuel management will be conducted to reduce the risk of wildfires.

The Foothills area is located off Silver Star Road.

“Residents may see smoke from a prescribed burn from two parcels of city-owned land in the Foothills. The work will be conducted by a qualified contractor and will only take place if weather and fuel conditions are appropriate,” a city news release stated.

Fire Chief David Lind said they started the Foothills fuel management project in 2019.

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“First, we cleaned up the site by removing debris and thinning out the trees and vegetation. In July 2020, small pile burning was conducted to deal with some of the woody fiber that had been generated from the thinning of overgrown areas, and now it’s time to conduct a prescribed burn to manage fine fuels and return to the area to a more natural state,” Lind explained.

Controlled burns require specific criteria to be met to maintain the safety of those doing the work and everyone else in the area, including the right weather conditions to reduce the impact of smoke on the region.

Lind said the contractor will carefully prepare, control and monitor the fire at all times and Vernon firefighters will be on site regularly and will remain in close contact with the contractor.

“I have full confidence in the team doing this work,” said Lind. “Burning will only take place if conditions are suitable and allow smoke to dissipate. It will be done in compliance with provincial and federal regulations and conducted in a safe, controlled, and responsible manner.”

Only one day of burn activity is expected to take place, followed by three days of patrolling the area for hot spots; however, the schedule may be adjusted due to weather and site conditions.

During the day, residents in the Foothills area will want to keep their windows closed to prevent smoke from getting inside their homes. The fire will be extinguished before the contractor leaves the site, which is when windows can be opened again.

Below is a map where the prescribed burns are scheduled to take place (within the blue dotted boundaries).