Get the Top, Local stories delivered to your inbox! Click here to join the daily Vernon Matters newsletter.
Plie burning (Image Credit: BCWS / Flickr)
By Liam Verster
Fire Fuel Reduction

Controlled burn planned for Salmon Arm

Feb 17, 2026 | 3:15 PM

Smoke will be seen in the Shuswap as the BC Wildfire Service does pile burning near Salmon Arm.

The BCWS said it would be burning 10 piles of fire fuels in the Rappel Base area as part of a wildfire hazard reduction operation.

The burns will cause smoke to be visible in the surrounding area.

The provincial firefighting agency said the burns could begin as early as Monday, Feb. 23, weather and conditions permitting.

View Comments

Other Matters

Stopped in their tracks
Major Kelowna parking scam thwarted
A major parking scam has been thwarted in Kelowna.The City said the suspects placed unauthorized QR code decals on 75 parking pay stations.If motorists had used them their payment would have gone straight to the fraudsters, not the PayByPhone vendor.City staff noticed the illegal stickers on the meters, security spotte...
29m ago
Read More
Fire Fuel Reduction
Controlled burn planned for Salmon Arm
Smoke will be seen in the Shuswap as the BC Wildfire Service does pile burning near Salmon Arm.The BCWS said it would be burning 10 piles of fire fuels in the Rappel Base area as part of a wildfire hazard reduction operation.The burns will cause smoke to be visible in the surrounding area.The provincial firefighting ag...
2h ago
Read More
Water Main Break
Water Quality Advisory issued for properties on 31st Street
A precautionary Water Quality Advisory has been issued for select properties on 31st street.Greater Vernon Water says a water main break caused a loss of water pressure in the system Tuesday, Feb. 17, leading to the advisory being issued for properties between 4313 to 4409 31st Street. Properties put under the Water Qu...
4h ago
Read More
66th Vernon Winter Carnival
Warmer weather helped draw record crowds out to Vernon Winter Carnival
Vernon's annual winter celebrations saw record turnouts to some key events, thanks in part to unseasonably warm weather.The lead organizer of the 66th annual Vernon Winter Carnival said there were large crowds for many events this year."We had quite a few events sell out, and we saw record numbers for a few events...
4h ago
Read More
House Destroyed
No timeline set for clean-up following Friday morning house fire
The debris from an early morning house fire remains piled up at a property just outside Vernon's downtown core.In the early morning hours of Friday, Feb. 13, a fire broke out at a residence at the intersection of 28th Street and 37th Avenue.The fire destroyed the home, but Vernon Fire Rescue (VFRS) managed to keep the ...
5h ago
Read More
Police Chase
Salmon Arm RCMP cruiser damaged in pursuit of stolen vehicles
A police cruiser was taken out of rotation after being rammed while in pursuit of a stolen truck in the Shuswap.At around 10:43 p.m. Feb. 8 Salmon Arm RCMP responded to a report of a 2006 black F-350 being stolen from a property in Blind Bay.Members of the complainant's family followed the truck, but reported being fol...
6h ago
Read More
Safety concern
Police hand out more than 50 tickets for distracted driving in school zones
According to Kelowna RCMP, distracted driving remains a serious safety concern. This came to light after a focused enforcement operation in local school zones last week.Officers from the Road Safety Unit conducted checks on Feb. 11 - 12, targeting drivers using handheld electronic devices during peak drop-off and pick-...
6h ago
Read More
Guilty
Kelowna man convicted of flying drone near McDougall Creek wildfire
A Kelowna man has been convicted of interfering with wildfire suppression efforts after flying a drone near active firefighting operations during the 2023 McDougall Creek wildfire.Court heard Derek Leippi was operating the drone from a boat on Okanagan Lake on Aug. 27, 2023, about 10 days after the fire destroyed Okana...
6h ago
Read More
50/50 Fundraiser
Heart of B.C. 50/50 resumes in support of local health, mental health programs
A fairly new fundraiser is returning to support access to local health and mental health services.The Heart of B.C. 50/50 Lottery has reopened in support of opening a satellite Foundry site in West Kelowna, as well as other preventative health care programs across the Southern Interior.The fundraiser was first launched...
Feb 13, 2026
Read More

What Matters

House Destroyed
No timeline set for clean-up following Friday morning house fire
5h ago
Police Chase
Salmon Arm RCMP cruiser damaged in pursuit of stolen vehicles
6h ago
Seasonal Celebrations
Vernon Winter Carnival wraps up with final events this weekend
Feb 13, 2026
Significant damage
Vernon home a total loss following Friday morning fire
Feb 13, 2026
Fatal Hit-and-Run
Man killed in crash on Highway 6 in Vernon
Feb 12, 2026