Prescribed burn planned

Wildfire season might be wrapping up around Nelson but the preparation for the wildfire season never stops.

A prescribed burn and fire training exercise has been scheduled by Nelson Fire and Rescue Services this month near Svoboda Road. The exercise was initially planned for fall of 2023 but was postponed due to unfavorable burning conditions.

Depending on weather conditions, the prescribed burn could take place on Oct. 9 or Oct. 16 and will comprise around 0.7 hectares above the Svoboda Road parking lot, just north of the city’s water supply on Anderson Creek.

The burn exercise is a collaborative effort — with support from BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) and the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) — to build local knowledge within the city’s fire department personnel for wildfire response. The exercise also has the added benefit of a reduction in wildfire risk through the removal of surface fuels and an increase in tree spacing.

Jeff Hebert, fire chief of the Nelson department, said the exercise will be largely focused on the training aspect.

“This exercise is crucial for strengthening our collective response to wildfires,” he said in the press release. “By training alongside the RDCK and BCWS, we gain valuable insights into each other's systems, allowing us to respond more effectively as a team when it matters most.”

The BCWS provides its expertise in managing wildfires outside the city, and Nelson Fire and Rescue Services would respond to wildfire risks within the city limits, if one were to occur.

“This inter-agency training exercise will allow NFRS, RDCK, and BCWS to exchange knowledge, train with each other's equipment, and enhance their ability to collaborate in a coordinated wildfire response,” said Hebert.

Access through Svoboda Road and the Svoboda parking lot will be maintained, but there will be temporary closures of some bike trails during the operation. Hebert assured that planning and preparation will ensure that the bike trails and climbing areas are not damaged by this project.

The fires will be set under appropriate venting conditions — minimizing the impacts of smoke on residents — and will be postponed if needed. The prescribed burn is being conducted under special provisions of the Environmental Management Act, which allows burns for training purposes to take place under conditions with less stringent venting requirements than those applied to burns conducted by the general public.

Hebert said smoke will be visible on the day of the burn, with a possibility of minor smoke lingering the day after the operation.