Update: Controlled Burn in Park Over

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Bluesky
• Share on X
• Copy Link

“The conditions were excellent and we had good results,” Lind tells Beach Radio News.

Housing Starts

Local housing construction declined in June, down for year so far

2h ago

Employee Safety

Employers responsible for worker safety as heat wave hits Okanagan: WorksSafeBC

19h ago

mid- to high 30s

Cooling centres opening in Vernon as heat wave hits the Okanagan

19h ago

Lind says they didn’t burn as much as they had planned due to concerns about aggressive fire behavior, and they ended up wrapping up around 2:30 pm.

Thirteen firefighters were involved in the preventative burn, which also provided wildfire training for fire personnel.

Fire Chief David Lind says more controlled burns will be held in the future.

“There are areas where we have concerns. I want to see some burning in the Foothills area. We’ve got several areas where we have grasslands that move straight up towards residential backyards,” Lind tells Beach Radio News.

Lind says the next burns will likely be held in the fall.

There is lots of smoke — and some low level flames — coming from a Vernon park this afternoon, but it’s not a cause for concern.

Vernon Fire-Rescue is conducting a prescribed burn in Becker Park which started in the area just west of the Curling Club building.

Fire chief David Lind says the controlled burn will prevent future fires in the park, and help with firefighter training.

“It’s both for ongoing practice but also to deal with the fine fuels in the area,” Lind told Beach Radio News.

Up to five acres of the park will be burned over the next few hours, on a patch by patch basis.

Photo by Graham Turnbull

(May 15 story)

There will be a fire in Vernon’s Becker Park this week.

The City’s Fire Rescue Service has announced fire crews will be conducting a prescribed burn in the city owned park Wednesday.

Interim Fire chief David Lind says it’s a preventive measure to manage the fine fuels on the five acre site, west of the Recreation Complex.

“The goal is to reduce the level of combustible material in the area by mimicking a naturally occurring ground fire. The removal of these fuels helps reduce the threat of wildfires,” says Lind.

The timing of the burn will depend on the weather and site conditions.

“Crews will conduct test burns before igniting a larger area, to verify how effectively fuels are consumed and where smoke is expected to travel. They will proceed only if conditions are suitable to allow for quick smoke dissipation and low to moderate fire intensity,” adds Lind.

Map of burn area in Becker Park

The event will also provide training to improve skills in wildland fire fighting.

“We are sensitive to the fact that smoke has an impact on people, particularly those with respiratory conditions and allergies,” says Lind. “We will only ignite the prescribed fire when weather patterns will disperse smoke more quickly so it has less effect on populated areas. Homeowners are advised to close windows to reduce the smell of smoke.”

The burn will temporarily blacken the landscape, but it should return to green within a matter of weeks.

Lind says other prescribed burns will be held regularly in the Greater Vernon area during the spring and fall when conditions are favourable.

The prescribed burn is being conducted in conjunction with Rider Ventures and in compliance with BC Ministry of Forest guidelines.

File photo of fire in Becker Park