It is likely not something to worry about if you see some smoke in certain areas around Squamish in the coming month.
Since the fall of 2020, Sea to Sky Natural Resource District staff, with the support of BC Wildfire Service crews, have been conducting a fuel management project to reduce wildfire risks in our area.
The project has been focusing on areas that are deemed a high wildfire risk.
The final stage of the project is the burning of forest debris that crews have gathered into piles.
This work is happening east of Quest University, along Mamquam Road and Garibaldi Park Road to the southern border of the Ring Creek residential area.
According to a government news release, the debris being gathered in piles is no larger than two metres tall and three metres wide.
“Burning will be intermittent based on multiple factors, including site accessibility, crew availability, weather and venting conditions,” the release states.
According to the release, all burning will adhere to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy’s Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation to reduce the impact on residents.
Removing accumulations off forest fuels aims to do the following:
•help reduce the severity and spread of any future wildfires in the area
•help prevent a wildfire from spreading into the tops of trees
•reduce wildfire threats to the community
•give firefighting crews better access to any future wildfire in this area
•provide a safer public evacuation route, if needed.
Work that’s already been completed includes understory thinning, which removes smaller trees and other vegetation through mechanical and manual falling, tree pruning, removal of surface fuels, and/or removal of other wood fibre. Older, mature trees were left to provide shade and inhibit the regrowth of understory vegetation.
All personnel working on this project are following provincial COVID-19 public health orders and guidelines to ensure that operations can continue safely.
If you want to help reduce the chance of damage from a forest fire, the FireSmart Begins at Home manual was developed to help people around the home.
Here are additional fire prevention information and resources.
