By Mandy Vocke

Prescribed burns to help restore Cariboo grasslands

Apr 8, 2019 | 9:57 AM

CARIBOO REGION— B.C. Wildfire Service crews will assist with multiple ecosystem restoration burns in the Cariboo Fire Centre over the next few weeks.

The six prescribed burns will be managed by the ministry’s Ecosystem Restoration Program and will help restore natural grassland ecosystems. The burns could begin as early as today (April 8) and end as late as May 3.

A prescribed burn is an intentionally ignited fire that is planned and managed by a verified “burn boss.” The burn boss is responsible for ensuring initial burn conditions are favourable. It’s also responsible for making sure the fire is fully extinguished once the prescribed burn is completed.

These burns will proceed only if the site, weather and venting conditions are suitable. All prescribed burns must comply with the Environment Management Act and the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation to help minimize the amount of smoke generated.

Firefighters from the Cariboo Fire Centre will monitor the fires at all times.

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The following areas will be treated:

• Doc English Lake (Becher Prairie): 150 hectares south of Highway 20 near Cotton Road. About 30 kilometres southwest of Williams Lake.
• Sonny’s Meadow: 184 hectares. About 7.5 kilometres northeast of Eske.
• Esk’etemc IR 5: 67 hectares. About 5 kilometres north of Esket.
• Esk’etemc IR 18: 10 hectares. About 12 kilometres northeast of Esket.
• Joe Bacon: 91 hectares. About 3 kilometres northeast of Esket.
• Joes Lake: 54 hectares. About 4 kilometres south of Esket.

Grasslands in the Cariboo-Chilcotin were historically renewed through frequent, low-intensity ground fires. These fires prevented tree encroachment, rejuvenated the understory plants that grow under the forest canopy and helped maintain more open grasslands and forests with large trees. The reintroduction of managed, low-intensity ground fires to the grasslands is intended to restore and maintain traditional grassland plant communities.

These types of prescribed fires also reduce build-ups of woody debris and other flammable material which helps decrease the risk of significant wildfires in the future.

A factsheet about prescribed burns and ecosystem restoration burns is available here.