BC government cautions public on recreating on Crown land

WILLIAMS LAKE– The province is reminding the public to be wary when, and if travelling on the Crown land in the Cariboo where wildfires occurred in 2017 and 2018, especially in areas where fireguards were established.

Firegaurds are a strip of land running along a wildfire’s perimeter, around 10 metres in width, that has been stripped of vegetation and other flammable material to attempt to control wildfires.

Fireguards are constructed manually by ground crews or by using heavy machinery. The government has been working at rehabilitating the fireguards created in the Cariboo over the past two years and are looking to remind anyone travelling or recreating near fireguards of the risks:

• Heavy machinery (including excavators, skidders and graders) may be working on or near fireguards. Always stay clear of any such machinery.
• Existing off-road vehicle trails may be impassable due to the effects of wildfires and fireguard construction.
• Trees and tree roots within burned areas can be severely damaged by fire. This could make the trees unstable and they could fall down without warning.